Dr John Mcdougall 7 Day Diet

The Starch Solution (2012) is a weight loss and healthy eating diet that advises a starch-centered diet

• Vegan
• High-starch, very-low-fat, low protein
• Low processed foods

Below is a description of the food recommendations in the diet.  What to eat  |  Foods to avoid  |  To achieve maximum weight loss.   There's a lot more in the book.

Get a copy of The Starch Solution for more information on the scientific studies behind the recommendations and also recipes

The reasoning behind The Starch Solution

This book argues that humans are naturally "starchivores" who thrive on a starch-centered diet. Protein (in excess), fat, dietary cholesterol, methionine (in meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and cheese), and dietary acid (in animal foods) are toxic, and starch is the path to detoxification and spontaneous healing. Animal-based diets are leading to environmental devastation so we should follow a plant-based diet.

The Starch Solution diet plan – food list

What to eat  |  Foods to avoid  |  To achieve maximum weight loss

Foods to eat in The Starch Solution

Center your plate around starches, adding color and flavor with nonstarchy vegetables and fruits

• Starches
  • Eat as much as you want, the least processed you can find
  • Grains (whole grains): barley, buckwheat, corn, farro, millet, oats (preferably rolled oats or steel-cut oats), rice (preferably brown rice), rye, sorghum, spelt, triticale, wheat, wild rice. Also products made with these grains, such as breads, tortillas, flatbreads, pasta, couscous, and whole grain cereals
  • Legumes: beans, lentils, peas (treat peanuts as nuts/seeds, below)
  • Starchy vegetables: carrots, Jerusalem artichokes, parsnips, potatoes, salsify, sweet potatoes, winter squashes (acorn, banana, butternut, Hubbard), yams
• Nonstarchy vegetables
  • Green, yellow, and orange (nonstarchy) vegetables
  • Eat plenty
  • Bok choy, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, chives, collard greens, eggplant, garlic, green beans, kale, leeks, lettuce, mustard greens, okra, onions, peppers, radishes, rhubarb, scallions, spinach, summer squashes, tomatoes, turnips, zucchini
• Mushrooms
• Fruits
  • Eat plenty
  • Apples, apricots, bananas, berries, cherries, figs, grapefruit, grapes, loquats, mangoes, melons, nectarines, oranges, papayas, peaches, persimmons, pineapples, plums, tangerines, watermelons
• Other foods for flavoring
  • Bean spreads, jellies and jams, tempeh, tofu, tofu mayonnaise, soy-based yogurts, fat-free cocoa powder, noncaffeinated herbal teas, coffee substitutes, club soda or unsweetened seltzer (flavored or plain), Ener-G Egg Replacer, nutritional yeast, whole grain flours, soy milk, rice milk, nut milk, fruit juice, brown sugar, agave nectar, pure maple syrup, soy sauce, miso paste, herbs and spices
• Packaged meals
  • Packaged Dr. McDougall's Right Food soups, cereals, and cup meals
• Snack foods
  • Corn thins,crackers (rice or wheat, fat free), hummus or other spreads (fat free), popcorn (just corn; avoid instant popcorn with added fat)
• Eat 30-80 grams of protein a day, using plant proteins (whole grains, legumes, tofu and tempeh, nuts and seeds, soy milk and nut milks). You don't need to consciously combine these foods ("complementary proteins") within a given meal
• Most people can enjoy small amounts of refined flours and simple sugars without adverse effects

Foods to avoid or limit with The Starch Solution

Stay away from these foods altogether, all of the time, for the rest of your life.

• Meat
  • E.g. beef, pork, lamb
• Poultry
  • E.g. chicken, turkey, duck
• Dairy  foods
  • E.g. milk, cheese, yogurt, sour cream
• Eggs
• Seafood
• Animal fats
  • E.g. lard and butter
• Vegetable oils
  • Including olive, corn, flaxseed, canola, and safflower oils
• Processed foods
  • Refined and sugar coated cereals, cookies, cakes, desserts, chocolate, ice cream
  • White rice, white flour
  • Margarine, mayonnaise
  • Colas and other sodas
  • Processed meats
  • Packaged foods
  • Highly processed meat equivalents made from soy and other plant-based foods
• Isolated soy protein
• Choose foods with the fewest artificial ingredients
• Low alcohol is implied but not stated in the book
• Low caffeine is implied but not stated in the book
• Foods that are too high calorie or rich for every day – either avoid completely or eat occasionally in very small amounts as occasional treats, especially if you're trying to lose weight or have a chronic illness
  • Nuts and seeds
  • Peanuts and peanut butter
  • Olives and avocado
  • Dried fruits
  • Flours (whole grain, white, all-purpose)
  • Fruit and vegetable juices
  • Simple sugars – table sugar, maple syrup, molasses, agave

Don't worry about restricting sodium too much, unless you're very salt-sensitive e.g. if you have severely damaged heart or kidneys.

To achieve maximum weight loss

Eat more:

• Nonstarchy green, yellow, and orange vegetables – increase to about 1/3 to ½ of the food on your plate. Fill the remainder of your plate with starch

Eat many small meals a day rather than one or two large ones

Eat a simple meal plan – greater variety results in more food consumed

Eat less:

• Fruit – fresh fruits only one or two a day

Avoid:

• Simple sugars, including dried fruit and juices
• Flour and flour products, including breads, bagels, and pastas
• High-fat plant foods, such as nuts, seeds, avocados, olives, and soy-based foods
• Eating at restaurants

Health benefits claimed in The Starch Solution

The diet in this book claims to reduce the risks or symptoms of: acne, aging, anemia, ankylosing spondylitis, arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, atherosclerosis, autism, bad breath, body odor, cancer, brain cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, kidney cancer, leukemia, lymphoma, melanoma, prostate cancer, canker sores, Crohn's disease, chronic constipation, depression, type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, diarrhea, ear infections, eczema, fatigue, gallbladder disease, gangrene, headache, hearing loss, heart attacks, heart disease, heartburn/GERD, high blood pressure / hypertension, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, hives, hyperactivity, impotence, indigestion, inflammatory diseases, kidney disease, kidney failure, lupus, macular degeneration, multiple sclerosis MS, muscle pain, osteoporosis, overweight/obesity, Parkinson's disease, peptic ulcers, rashes, schizophrenia, scleroderma, sinus infections, stroke, ulcerative colitis, vitiligo

As always, this is not intended to be a replacement for professional medical diagnosis or treatment for a medical condition. Consult your doctor before starting a new diet. This page describes what the authors of the diet recommend – Chewfo is describing the diet only, not endorsing it.

Get a copy of The Starch Solution for more information on the scientific studies behind the recommendations and also recipes

The McDougalls' website is https://www.drmcdougall.com/. John McDougall is on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/DrJohnMcDougall and Twitter at https://twitter.com/johnmcdougallmd.

How has this diet helped you? Please add a comment below.

Dr John Mcdougall 7 Day Diet

Source: http://www.chewfo.com/diets/the-starch-solution-by-john-mcdougall-and-mary-mcdougall-2012-what-to-eat-and-foods-to-avoid-food-list/

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