The food we were born to eat: John McDougall at TEDxFremont

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Published 2012-12-04
www.tedxfremont.com What food habits do all great civilizations have in common? John McDougall suggests that starch-based diets are the foods humans were born to eat. He has been studying, writing, and speaking out about the effects of nutrition on disease for over 40 years and is a bestselling author of several titles, including The Starch Solution.
www.drmcdougall.com

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All Comments (21)
  • @asap9265
    In Kathmandu, we grow most of our fruits and veggies organically. Also, my family has a tradition of quitting meat once you are 50 and we hardly eat processed food. As a result, everyone has lived to be 90 or more and not so long ago, 4 generations lived in the same house. RIP to my great grandpa who died at the age of 104.
  • @paulbee8327
    Oatmeal with blueberries for breakfast, potatoes and sauerkraut for lunch, salad or pasta for dinner. I lost 50 pounds eating like this. Arthritis, diverticulitis, Asthma, hay fever high blood pressure all gone. God bless John and Mary McDougall!!!
  • @joepaige7553
    "Civilized people don't let children be hurt.". Underrated statement of the century.
  • @ruthsmith1694
    I am nearly sixty six and have been on a plant based diet for nearly nine years and feel great on it. All the health issues i had previously went away and have stayed away. The natural diet is the best one there is for all ages and stages through life.
  • @jakemorrison548
    I’m 51 and live in Hawaii. My grandparents as well as my friends grandparents were all healthy and in great shape. Our parents were the first on the Western Diet. They ended up with diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. My generation, armed with info from the internet are trying to get back in shape like our grandparents. The problem is, there are so many diets saying eat this and not that. I’m going with my grandparents diet (Asian diet) and lifestyle. They’re all the proof I need.
  • I became a vegan in 2021 October, thanks to Doctor McDougall. I heard him talk about the benefits of the potato and was fascinated. Soon I read all I could about his starchbased vegan diet and switched to it. It was easier than I thought since I was already a vegetarian and had rice daily. I am a runner and tennis player from India and at 65 I feel so fit. Thank you doctor.
  • @CEarthling
    My Grand Uncle is a Vegan for 43 years....He is 93 year old...& still do all his work himself..& he always tell us about his secret to health....COMPASSION
  • At 82, I'm doing ok. Thanks Dr. McDougall for giving me the simple program that has saved my life.
  • My grandma died at age 105... She never had any health issue like diabetes or high blood pressure not even lose of vision... Her entire life she lived on corn beans and cactus they planted.. Cactus fruit for dessert.. Only once a year on her birthday they kill a chicken or a rabbit to eat for celebration they were in perfect health and died peacefully of old age not illness
  • Best thing I ever did was to start intermittent fasting. Not only did I lose weight but my relationship with food changed immensely - for the better.
  • Thank you so much Dr. My radiation dr told me I needed to be proactive about my health, and proceeded to give me names of drs for different ailments. I told him I was getting proactive I had started fasting 16/8 and was eating vegetables/ fruit/ starch.. he was speechless that I wouldn’t follow his orders. I’m now in remission and feel amazing 😻
  • @brian1185
    Did starch cure them or did removing other foods, such as highly processed food, cure them?
  • @rodrigor.1133
    If I had a dollar for every time he said "rice, corn, sweet potatoes" I would have enough to buy me a week's worth of rice, corn and sweet potatoes <3
  • @myriamhajri8454
    i watched this video 3 years ago. it stayed in my mind and at dinner time, i held back on the meat. one day turned into a month and had lost 20 pounds. now, 3 years later and 30 pounds lighter, i have been eating a whole foods plant based vegan diet and am never looking back. My mom and brother (who does lots of training) have jumped on the wagon 2 years running :)) i used to have a lot of acne, which disappeared as well as a muuuuch better immune system. Havent had food poisoning, stomachaches or even the flu in years!!! and i used to always be sick and have constipation. Thank you dr mcdougall for improving the life of me and my loved ones.
  • @thecatlady3501
    I want to add to his saying that we eat like “kings and queens”...the food that is now provided is not just easily accessible, it’s also just processed with the cheapest of materials and unfortunately they are high in calories and give little nutritional value. And this food is systematically placed in the more low income areas. It’s easy cheap and quick to eat. So I wouldn’t say it’s like eating like kings and queens...it’s the modern diet set up to make the most profit quick. It’s hurting our health just for a profit in not just the food industry but also health care. It’s all about profit at the expense of our lives.
  • @iamtheuse6321
    Twenty nine years on the McDougall program, only regret was I hadn't found it earlier than 1993. Picked up a copy of The McDougall Plan at a book store back in the day have never looked back. The program is free I believe he even now gives away downloads of some of his books for free, the truth he speaks is in doing and getting the results.
  • @mohnish2009
    4 months on a plant based diet and i feel better than ever. thanks
  • @ConcreteRiver
    rice, corn, potatoes. this is the lives we live. strong, healthy and happy.
  • Africans eat a ton of starch; cassava, sweet potatoes, millet, corn (maize). The main dish is always a starch, served with green vegetables, beans, peas usually cooked with some nut butter like peanut (groundnut) or sesame seeds (simsim). Growing up in Uganda, our family ate meat once a week. We did have milk, fresh from our cows. I do not remember seeing any overweight people. Two years ago, I went home and ate just like they do, totally against my American diet. Every meal was packed with starchy grain or root vegetables. I thought for sure I was going to gain weight. To my surprise, I lost 7 pounds in about 4 weeks. I did notice that they eat a small breakfast then lunch and dinner. They eat little to no snacks in between so you go for at least 4 hours without eating anything. Plus, they walk everywhere.
  • @manyhives
    I love his entire message. 'Let food be your medicine and let medicine be your food' I changed my diet and lost 25 pounds (from 160 to 135) I love how you want to protect people from themselves and corporate food America. Everyone can do better.