Greetings,
Dr. McDougall, author of The Starch Solution and founder of McDougall Wellness Center recommends starch-based language. The term plant-based may be vague and leaves much room for confusion. In my books, there is also the occasional reference to the healing properties of wild edible plants also. I apologize for my part in the confusion.
We people need calories to function. While that beautiful salad with kale, romaine lettuce and blueberries and a chia seed-vinegarette dresssing provides a fantastic, nutrient dense delivery to your cells; the nutrients are high, but the calories in this dish would me minimal. This meal would not suffice to provide needed energy throughout the day.
As for the reference to the wild edibles in Wellness Diaries and Life Is Conscious, if wild edibles are referred to on this site, I will be very specific. The references to a plant-based diet in the two books are referring to a starch-based diet with some nutritious, veggies and fruits.
While the nutrient density of the super food-Dandelion can hardly be beat; neither can the medicinal and pot herb value of Plantain, I will be very specific if wild edibles are referred to here. It is starch (rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, breads, etc) that have the calories.
Dr. McDougall makes it clear that starch should be the staple to obtaining calories. Starch, it is not a bad word. Learn it straight from the source. https://www.drmcdougall.com/
“You are designed to eat starch.”
This shift will help people get on the same page as far as veg and plant-based diets are concerned: starch based diet. Potatoes, rice, sweet potatoes and some legumes would make up the bulk of the diet. These have served as staple foods for people throughout the world for thousands of years.
The ongoing debate has some valid points. Vegetables such as Kale, Collards, Broccoli may be loaded with nutrients, phytochemicals, including cancer fighting compounds. These are great to eat often, even daily. But these don’t contain enough calories to try and make them a staple food. People need calories. We are designed to move and be active. This is where the rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes and legumes come in. This starch diet has very little animal protein. There are thousands of meal possibilities with these staples. It is anything but limited.
Yes, you heard it. It is a myth that starch is bad. Starch is actually what people are physically and metabolically designed to eat.
Dr. McDougall’s starch based plan is a practical and sensible introduction to eliminating all the excess animal protein that is so grossly excessive in the standard American diet today. See Dr. McDougall’s website and book for fantastic recipes, informative dietary guidelines, and why starch is an ideal staple, eaten by people for thousands and thousands of years.
Education, researching and finding the facts for yourself is key. Please join us as we switch around the wording here as well as elsewhere. That is, replacing the plant-based term with starch-based. If I am referring to wild edibles on this site, I will be more specific. Again, all apologies for my part in the confusion on terminology.
Thank you for reading.
-Owen