The McDougall Diet is an elimination diet designed by physician Dr. John A. McDougall. McDougall's purpose with the elimination program is to improve the health of his patients, especially those who suffer from suspected food allergies. The diet is vegetarian in nature but is not a raw foods diet, as one of the guidelines is to thoroughly cook all foods consumed including fruits.
Background
Dr. John McDougall, an internist who focuses on diet, was one of the first physicians to proclaim nutrition could serve as medicine for treating certain diseases and ailments. The McDougall elimination diet was designed to help those with allergies improve their health. The diet uses the principle that eliminating a substance producing illness will cause the symptoms to disappear. Foods can then be reintroduced one at a time to determine if any produce the former symptoms, thereby determining the cause of the illness. Dr. McDougall wrote several books detailing his belief in the vegetarian lifestyle and his particular approach to elimination dieting.
Foods
A variety of foods are allowed on the McDougall diet. Nearly all yellow and green vegetables are allowed with onions, cucumbers, radishes and green pepper being the exceptions. These particular vegetables can be hard on the stomach. Fruits are indicated on the diet as well, though citrus varieties should be avoided. Certain starches are recommended on the diet including brown rice, squash, sweet potatoes and puffed rice. No meat or dairy products should be consumed while following the program. You can use salt but no other condiments are allowed including vinegar, lemon juice, salad dressing or pepper. Stick to water as your only beverage while dieting the McDougall way.
Process
The diet involves eliminating all the foods most likely to produce allergic reactions in people. Make sure all foods are thoroughly cooked during your elimination diet. Cooking changes the proteins in foods, making them less likely to cause illness. It should take approximately one week to determine if your particular illness is food related. If you feel significantly better after a week of following the elimination diet, then you have reason to believe that an adverse reaction to a particular food or group of foods may have been the culprit in making you sick. Add back foods one at a time with at least four days in between introductions to see if your symptoms return. You can therefore identify the particular food responsible for your illness.
Benefits
The main benefit of the McDougall diet is the "curing" of a patient with food allergies. According to Dr. McDougall in the 2002 "The McDougall Newsletter," his diet can also prevent illnesses, help patients lose weight and provide individuals with a tasty diet that is easy to maintain. He also maintains that controlling diet is the cheapest and safest way to treat illness. McDougall believes his diet coupled with exercise will vastly improve the health of most persons in a quick amount of time.
Misconceptions
Though the McDougall diet does promote weight loss, it is not a diet designed for the average overweight individual. The diet is prescribed mainly for those who are suffering from the physical effects of food allergy so they may find relief as quickly as possible.
Critics
According to Dan Mcdonald in his article for Life Extension Magazine, "If It Comes From the Ground....Eat it," some physicians and other persons believe McDougall's diet to be less beneficial than his claims. They point to the fact that McDougall sells his own brand of products named "Dr. McDougall's Right Foods," which could indicate he is primarily interested in profiting from his diet program.
Member Comments