The McDougall diet, which is a plant-based starch-based diet, is one of the medicinal vegan diets. It is recommended for people struggling with many diseases, ranging from overweight, obesity, cardiovascular diseases to cancer. Find out what the McDougall Diet is and who can apply it.
The McDougall diet(a plant-based diet based onstarch ) is a diet for people who want to stay he althy for as long as possible, as well as for people struggling with he alth problems, including those who are overweight and obese. The basis of the diet is starch - a complex carbohydrate, made of branched glucose bonds, which is broken down by digestive enzymes into glucose - a simple sugar that is a source of energy and satisfies hunger. The most important sources of starch are grains, legumes, potatoes.
The McDougall Diet (starch-based): who is it for?
Diet, the main ingredient of which is starch, is recommended for people who are overweight and obese, suffering from chronic heart disease, cancer, arthritis, diabetes and hypertension. The diet is also recommended for people struggling with skin problems: acne, skin blemishes.
McDougall's diet: rules
Dr. McDougall recommends increasing your consumption of starchy foods that satisfy your hunger. You can eat them whenever you want to eat them, there are no restrictions. It is recommended to choose products that are as least processed as possible, it is better to choose brown rice than white, whole grain bread rather than wheat. You should eat a lot of fruit and vegetables, avoid animal products: meat, milk and dairy products, eggs, avoid animal and vegetable fat, reduce s alt and sugar consumption, avoid highly processed soy products. You can eat tofu or soy milk from time to time.
People who want to lose weight should additionally limit products with a high fat content, e.g. avocados, nuts, seeds and high content of simple sugars, e.g. dried fruit, juices. However, they should increase the amount of fresh fruit and vegetables, legumes, eat a few small meals a day, whole grain cereal products and be physically active.
McDougall's diet: products indicated
The McDougall diet is based on plant products with high starch content and non-starchy vegetables and fruits. Starchy products include:
- grains: barley, wheat, brown rice, corn, millet, oats, rye, spelled, triticale,
- legumes: dry beans, peas, lentils, soybeans,
- starchy vegetables: tubers and roots, i.e. potatoes, edible cassava, sweet potatoes and pumpkin vegetables.
Vegetables and fruits that do not contain starch are a valuable source of vitamins and minerals, as well as fiber and water. They are characterized by low calorific value, so they are not the basis of a meal, but an addition that enriches the taste, aroma and color of dishes.
McDougall's diet: prohibited products
According to Dr. McDougall, the following should be excluded from the diet:
- meat (beef, pork, lamb, poultry),
- milk and milk products (cheese, cottage cheese, yoghurt, cream),
- eggs,
- animal fats (lard, tallow),
- vegetable fats (olive oil, rapeseed oil, linseed oil, corn oil),
- highly processed foods.
McDougall's diet: effects
What is the McDougall Diet? Starch products are a source of ingredients (carbohydrates, protein, fiber, fat, vitamins and minerals) in the right proportions, as well as antioxidants and phytochemicals. However, they contain few ingredients hazardous to he alth, causing the development of diseases, such as saturated fat, cholesterol, trans fats, animal protein and acidifying substances, which have inflammatory properties and contribute to the development of heart disease, heart attacks, hypertension, arthritis, and cancer.
According to McDougall, a starch-based diet, thanks to a low content of saturated trans fat, cholesterol, animal protein and acidifying substances, reduces body weight, improves the condition of the skin, and improves the body's efficiency. Protein found in animal products is dangerous to he alth, especially due to the high content of sulfuric amino acid - methionine, which is converted in the body into homocysteine - a compound that causes heart attacks, strokes, cardiovascular diseases, dementia and depression.
A high-starch diet reduces blood pressure, lowers blood cholesterol and triglycerides, and returns blood glucose and insulin levels to normal. People who followed Dr. McDougall's diet recovered, won the battle against heart disease, arthritis and cancer. A plant-based starch-based dietcures acne, asthma, cholecystitis, chronic diarrhea, type 2 diabetes and hypertension, and even cancer remission.
This will be useful to youYou can read more about Dr. McDougall's diet in the book"He alth without a prescription, or the starch that heals"Dr. John A. McDougall and Mary McDougall (Wydawnictwo IPS Sp. o. o., Warsaw 2014).
The authors describe many real stories of people who chose this diet and the results they obtained. There is a we alth of research in the book that supports the position of the doctor who has been treating patients on a plant-based diet for over thirty years and following such a diet. The authors of the book provide a lot of advice and tips. They provide a nutritional plan, practical tips on how to prepare to start a diet, how to stick to it, and recipes for easy and tasty dishes.
McDougall's diet: a sample menu according to McDougall
Breakfast:potato pancakes with barbecue sauce, ketchup or fresh salsa, fresh fruit sliced
Lunch:McDougall's vegetable burger with wholemeal bun, with tomatoes, lettuce and mustard
Dinner:stewed sweet potatoes, brown rice, steamed broccoli, peach and oat casserole
Yo-yo effect - how to avoid it
Did you lose weight? Way to go! However, this is not the end of the way to a slim figure. Maintaining the weight achieved is just as demanding as the diet. How to avoid the yo-yo effect. How to eat after a diet? Listen to the dietitian and he alth coach Elżbieta Lange.