The Starch Solution is a new book by Dr. John A. McDougall and his wife. While the recipes are FANTASTIC, please read the book before skipping straight to the recipes, as I did the first time I got it. Basically, he is telling us that we need to go back to the diet of the majority of the world; make your plate at least 50 % starch…I know this goes against the advice of the paleo diet and the Adkins diet and the anti-diabetes diet…but hear me out. When he talks about the starch solution, he means potatoes, corn, and all of your healthy whole grains. He does not mean refined white cardboard.
McDougall says that we are not consuming nearly enough fiber and we aren’t getting the nutrients we need from a meat and veg diet. He would have us all eat no meat, dairy or eggs, and while this won’t work for everyone, it may be the easiest on our bodies! Foods made from isolated soy protein or and isolated wheat protein, may speed the development of cancers and other serious diseases. He reminds us that “fermented soy” found in miso and sprouted tofu are different (don’t eat soy at all unless it is organic and you know you don’t have hypo-active thyroid please.
You can see McDougall on the popular documentary FORKS OVER KNIVES on Netflix.
I take issue with him on several things, such as his overuse of soy products when we know a lot of dangers from eating too much soy. But being one who likes a “full plate” so I can eat more, this diet really speaks to me on many levels. Last night at my daughter Casey’s house, we had corn tortillas, refried beans, pinto beans, quacomole, tons of tomatoes, salsas, etc., and no one went away hungry!
The best way to see if this program will work for you is to try his 7 day plan. Supplement with B-12 and you are probably going to feel better than you have ever felt in a long, long time. And to top it off, you get to eat STARCH! Imagine, a warm bowl of oatmeal with coconut oil and blueberries for breakfast, a huge veggie wrap at lunch with oven fries, and steamed rice and stirfried vegetables for dinner….for some of us, a dream come true. So here’s to trying more starch to see if it works for you. Let me know what you think!