The Starch Solution - Dr. McDougall

I am close to 3 months in on eating by the Vegan eating plan by John McDougall. I just can't believe how much a difference food has made in my body healing itself. 3 months ago my body was in chronic pain. I could not open a water bottle any more, my hands hurt so badly and were so stiff just holding onto something without dropping it was a rarity. I value both traditional and holistic medicine, however, from research I knew that traditional medicine offered me no cure, only harsh medication to slow the process and that would cause more problems at the same time. So I went to a holistic doctor in the Dallas area that I had gone to before. I had just finished the Whole 30 which is a protein based diet, much like paleo. No grains, no sugar,... All of this pain had happened to me over the previous 12 months, with the last 6 months the progression happening at a startling rate. During the Whole 30 my pain and stiffness became substantially worse. When I went to my holistic doctor he kept me on a similar plan as to the Whole 30 with some minor alterations. Something inside of me, (Thank you, Jesus) prompted me to research for myself about diets that help RA. Within a couple of days I found the Paddison Program and John McDougall's website. The first 12 days I followed the Paddison Program (a strict elimination diet, Vegan) and then on day 13 moved over to the McDougall plan which is also Vegan. After the first 3 days I had full use of my hands again. My RA score went from a 39 (high) to a 23.3 (still high but much lower) in 6 weeks. This plan works for general health, auto immune diseases including RA, issues with cholesterol, everything....

It is important to not think Vegan eating is purely veggies and fruit, this plan includes starches as the basis of each meal, then veggies and fruit. I am never hungry after I eat, I stay full till it's time for my next meal, my brain functions well (no brain fog).

I still have a way to go to have a score of normal when it comes to inflammation, but I know as long as I feed my body what it needs it will get there. God made our bodies to heal themselves, like a cut heals on our arm or leg, but we have to give it the nutrients it needs to make that happen.

I followed John McDougall's website for the first 10 weeks with just info on line which is free, but recently bought his book. It is filled with lots of great information, all the how and why it works and what led him to start testing his theory of a Vegan based eating plan as compared to traditional meat based diet.