Dr. Dodge: Passion for Health

I attended Dr. John McDougall’s Advanced Nutritional Seminar in Santa Rosa, California on a recent weekend with one hundred and twenty other participants. It was outstanding. Following are brief summaries of several presentations. 

Dr. McDougall discussed the health advantages of a plant-based diet. He emphasized the value of starch in the plant-based diet. Despite a bad rap on starchy food in recent years, he noted that foods such as potatoes have been a mainstay of many healthy indigenous populations for thousands of years. Unlike refined carbohydrates, which have many bad effects on health, complex carbohydrates in whole foods are largely beneficial to health. 

Dr. Fontana, Director of the Division of Nutrition and Aging of the National Institutes of Health in Italy, is a brilliant scientist. His research has established the importance of wise calorie intake for long-term health. Intelligent calorie restriction is “the most powerful intervention known to increase health-span and lifespan.” We can find healthy calories primarily in abundant veggies, fruit, and whole grains, while limiting high-calorie foods.

Unfortunately, veggies and whole grains of all kinds comprise only seven percent of food eaten in America today. Dairy and animal products account for 42% of the average diet, and refined processed foods make up a huge 51% of the Standard American Diet (SAD). The disproportionate intake of food from high-calorie and junk food sources is a major contributor to obesity and to many of our chronic health problems in America today. 

John Mackey, founder and CEO of Whole Foods Markets, Inc., is on a mission to change America’s food and eating habits. His topic was “Healthy Eating in the 21^st Century.” Whole Foods Markets, Inc., has already had a significant impact on food in America by raising consciousness about food sources, food marketing, and food quality. Its impact will become bigger as Whole Foods Markets moves into many smaller cities.

Mackey is doing more to help Americans improve their food choices and preparation. He recently hired Chad Sarno, a top American chef in London, to become Executive Chef of Whole Foods Markets. Chad gave us two presentations on healthy food preparation, and then gave us samples. He is tops as both a chef and a presenter. I have no doubt that he will be a major influence in helping Whole Foods customers become wiser consumers.

Two other presenters included psychologist Dr. Doug Lisle and nutritionist Jeff Novick. Dr. Lisle’s book, The Pleasure Trap, explains problems involved in changing behavior. He reviewed this trap for us humorously. Jeff Novick gave us hilarious instructions on reading food labels. Both speakers had us laughing a lot, but they both left us wiser. 

The most important presenter of the weekend did not speak to us at all. Mary McDougall has collaborated with her husband for decades in preparing wholesome foods in delicious ways. She guided the Flamingo Hotel staff in preparing our meals, using her recipes, and the loaded banquet tables at every meal were a major coup. Nobody who was there will ever doubt that vegan foods can be both wholesome and delicious!