Posts: 101
8/24/07 9:17 P

Hi everyone,

I also believe that a whole foods, plant based diet is the way to go, especially using food as preventive medicine. Been a fan of Drs. McDougall, Neal Barnard and Dr. Shintani who practices in Hawaii, plus some others I can't remember off hand.

BTW..did you know Dr. McDougall practiced in Hawaii, used to be a meat eater and a smoker way back when...until he noticed that his older patients who ate a more plant based diet were in better health than their offspring who ate the typical american processed high fat diet and so began a change in his thinking, practicing and living.

He also host a program on cable (time warner), can't remember the station. If anyone's interested I'll look it up...it's reruns. I like to watch them now and then as a refresher course.

Posts: 70
8/13/07 1:23 P

Thank Goodness! I can't begin to tell how frustrated I was with vegetarian groups, not just here but everywhere. Groups are almost always based around animal cruelty. Which is dandy, if I can save a live in the process why not. I'm more interested in the health benefits though.

Anyway... there is my rant.

SparkPoints: (7,102)
Fitness Minutes: (275)
Posts: 64
4/30/07 4:50 A

I eat mostly whole foods for a healthy body, except when I visit other people with little control over the menu. I was really sick about 8 years ago and I healed through whole foods and alternative medicine. I am a different person now - no medication, healthy and strong. I still have high cholesterol and I need more protien and calcium. So I appreciate this topic and maybe get ideas about preventing osteo... With Spark People I am overcoming lack of exercise with walk/running most days.

SparkPoints: (3,339)
Fitness Minutes: (0)
Posts: 203
3/26/07 9:19 P

I will never be vegetarian either, but I like foods that are close to the earth. Fresh fruits and vegetables, raw whenever possible. I do eat low fat dairy and fish and chicken. I have just about eliminated sugar, alcohol, caffine, and added salt. Hopefully this will help my blood pressure and cholesterol.

Posts: 462
3/24/07 11:56 P

Hi,
I am so glad you invited me to your team.I am always trying to tell people about the Mcdougall plan.
Sofar I have lost 20 pounds ,I must update my ticker.
I feel great and am never hungry even though I eat no meat,dairy,eggs,fish or oils.
My BP went to 110/72 my cholesterol which was very high at 10 is down to 5 and my LDLs are perfect.
I think more people are finding that there is something to a vegetarian lifestyle.
You have alot of good ideas ,thanks again.





Edited by: ATRAPOS at: 3/25/2007 (00:01)

Posts: 684
2/8/07 6:28 P

hey flo! thanks for inviting me to join the group! i am excited to see how this shapes up. haha. like i said before, i think you have great ideas and this is something that we really need. if i can be of help, let me know.

current weight: 141.0

174 165.75 157.5 149.25

141

Posts: 1,747
2/8/07 4:19 A

Here's part of a post I made to the existing Whole Foods team, explaining my vision for this team:
-----
As a result of both extensive study and personal experience I believe that the best diet for humans in general and for me in particular is a very low fat, whole *plant* foods diet, as promoted by Drs. John McDougall and Neal Barnard.

Health is by far my primary reason for paying attention to what I eat. There are many programs that will help a person successfully lose weight, but the kind of program I advocate will also prevent, manage and actually reverse most of the chronic diseases that plague the industrialized nations. I am able to manage diabetes and two auto-immune disorders, plus metabolic syndrome, with minimal medication, including none for the diabetes, or for BP or cholesterol

I have felt frustrated by (what seems to me to be a) lack of support for that kind of program here. None of the meal plans come close. The staff member who hosts the veggie team seems to actively dissuade people from a strict vegetarian diet. The discussion there includes a lot of high fat, high salt, highly processed food, as well as dairy and eggs.

...

[My vision of a new team includes]:
...whole foods, strict vegetarian. I'm not 100%, but I'd like at least one place that supports the way I choose to eat, even if that's not how I eat all the time.
...No dairy, no eggs, no added fat.
...a focus on health, not animal rights.

I see a place for:
...cookbook reviews/recommendations
...non-cookbook reviews/recommendations (how to start, scientific support, living in a world of omni's, etc.)
...meal planning: how to, samples
...cookware/kitchen stuff/
...how to...entertain, be a guest, pack a lunch, cook for a mixed family, avoid spending your entire life in the kitchen.
...general support...a place to vent when our families, doctors, co-workers, in-laws, etc. make us want to grit our teeth as we smile back.
-----
So, here I am, and here it is.

For now the team is private, while I post messages to build the structure I envision. Thanks for checking us out!

Flo
AzLady

current weight: 182.0

235 221.75 208.5 195.25

182