Nathan Pritikin's Calorie Density Table--Revealing!

[VeggieSue]

Dr. McDougall limits beans to 1 cup per day due to the high protein content, less if there are kidney issues.

He hasn't mentioned that restriction for a few books already, and even his Color Picture Book has them in the eat freely category. I sent a question to the webinar email address in back in September asking for clarification of this but it's never been asked of Dr. McD by Gustavo. On FB I see some people are not only not restricting but doing the Mary's Mini using beans as their starch, and when told beans are restricted they hold up the Starch Solution book as their guide to McDougalling, and say beans aren't restricted *there*.

[colonyofcells]

Dr Mcdougall has answered the question about legumes as starch in this 2015 interview. The first question is about legumes vs starch (in american usage, legumes are actually vegetables and whole grains plus tubers are the usual starches). Dr Mcdougall promotes the traditional starches or common starches (rice, wheat, potato, sweet potato, etc.) altho he does allow using legumes as the main starch. He just says it is not a common practice to use legumes as the main starch and that legumes are heavier. My guess is feeling heavy or full after eating legumes is probably an advantage. Soy is still in the caution list bec soy is high fat.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUFdRuXdl8o
I've seen an older video of Dr McDougall where he actually challenges people to eat mostly beans and see what happens. In most of the videos of Dr McDougall, he promotes the traditional eating patterns where legumes is not used as the main starch but rather rice, wheat, potato, sweet potato, etc. Dr McDougall often uses the traditional diets as part of the argument to support the Starch Solution so it is not surprising that he promotes more the common starches like corn, rice, wheat, potato, sweet potato, quinoa, etc. rather than the legumes as the main starch.

[vgpedlr]

I was pointing out the similarities between Pritikin and McDougall regarding legumes. I have read and heard in numerous presentations that I own the one cup maximum. It's true it's absent from The Starch Solution, so perhaps it's not as important as previously thought, or just simplifying the program further.

[colonyofcells]

If you go by traditional eating patterns, you will use the common starches like corn, rice, wheat, potato, quinoa, etc. rather than the legumes as the main starch. If you go by the rules of the starch solution, legumes are starches too so it is allowed to use legumes as the main starch (except for high fat soy). If part of the reason for accepting the starch solution is the historical arguments based on the traditional diets, then just follow the traditional eating patterns where legumes are usually not used as the main starch. For example, soy was discovered in china but rice is the main starch staple in china rather than soy. In south america, the staples are corn, beans and winter squash (including the high fat seeds) and beans alone is not the main starch. For winter squash, I now chew on the seeds too instead of throwing away the seeds (I don't like to throw away food bec I am poor).

[GeoffreyLevens]

I don't go much by traditional diets though they are interesting and sometimes I get recipe ideas from them. Instead I go by current research and most importantly, how my body responds. I find I get more satiety and longer satiation before I get hungry again from legumes compared any other starch except maybe "white" potatoes. Do generally legumes are my main ones.

[colonyofcells]

Can probably find some traditional groups who did eat more beans. Many native american diets are based on the 3 sisters : corn, beans and winter squash altho some groups probably did eat more beans and 1 group was even called the bean people :
http://www.nytimes.com/1991/05/21/scien ... wanted=all
According to National Geographic :
In parts of Africa and Asia, especially India, legumes such as beans, lentils, and chickpeas are the (main) staple foods.
http://education.nationalgeographic.com ... od-staple/
Beans that might survive global warming :
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/291416.php

[GeoffreyLevens]

Can probably find some traditional groups who did eat more beans. Many native american diets are based on the 3 sisters : corn, beans and winter squash altho some groups probably did eat more beans and 1 group was even called the bean people :
http://www.nytimes.com/1991/05/21/scien ... wanted=all

Did not know that! I know the Maya in Mexico are "The People of the Corn" and actually have very slightly different genetics due to there many generations consumption of it. Got that from Michael Pollen...

http://michaelpollan.com/articles-archive/whats-eating-america/

What’s Eating America
Corn is one of the plant kingdom's biggest successes. That's not necessarily good for the United States.

Lot of corn eaten all over Ecuador. Almost never see "sweet corn" though; theirs is more an heirloom variety and very "starchy" tasting, not really sweet at all. I liked it a lot and ate it pretty often though still mostly beans as they seem to make my body happier. Just my non-standard metabolism at work...

[colonyofcells]

In the middle east, dates can be one of the staple foods in addition to grains and beans. In some parts of africa, the staple foods can be yams, grains and peanuts.

[GeoffreyLevens]

In the middle east, dates can be one of the staple foods.

In the West, Snickers can be one of the staples! So much sugar in dates...could be partially why so many "raw" foodies have rotted teeth and chronic systemic fungal issues

[colonyofcells]

Our ancestors worked hard to look for calories and cooking was probably invented to absorb more calories out of food. For lifestyle changes, probably better to increase exercise as a cure for the modern obsession in trying to avoid calories and the modern obsession with trying to avoid carb. Exercise more and can throw out all of these calorie density tables. Islanders could not be choosy about food and had to get calories from yam, taro, breadfruit, green plantains, coconuts, pandanus fruits, refined sago stem pith, etc. Some people like australia aborigines had to get calories from fatty grubs (insect larvae).