Dr. McDougall Comments on Today's Headlines Got Milk, Got Disease

Dr. McDougall Comments on Today's Headlines Got Milk, Got Disease The British Medical Journal reported in the news on October 29, 2014 on “Milk intake and risk of mortality and fractures in women and men: cohort studies.” This observational study found higher death rates for men and women who drank 3 or more glasses of milk daily, compared to less than a glass a day. There were also more fractures in general, and hip fractures, in the higher milk-consuming women. The researchers from Sweden focused on the milk sugar, D-galactose, as the trouble causer. They believe that oxidative stress and inflammation all over the body is caused by D-galactose. An accompanying editorial in the British Medical Journal, as well as the worldwide lay press; have tried to put these findings in perspective for the consumer.  In reality, this balanced reporting has kept the consumer from making sensible decisions that would undermine the dairy industry. Cow’s milk is not only unnecessary for strong bones and healthy bodies, but this category of food is a more important cause of obesity and illness than is red meat. Seemy article: When Friends Ask: Where Do You Get Your Calcium? May I remind you of some of the harmful qualities of this product? 1) The milk sugar, galactose, is toxic. As far back as 1981, cow’s milk was reported to cause cataracts of the eyes. 2) The fat you eat is the fat you wear. (Overweight and obesity.) Whole milk is 50% fat, milk advertised as 1% (low fat) is still 18% fat, and cheese is 70% fat. 3) Risk for heart attacks and stroke is most strongly tied to animal fats also called saturated fats. Dairy fat is 97% saturated fat. Dairy is loaded with cholesterol. 4) Milk is loaded with people poisoning chemicals. High levels of pesticides and herbicides are present in these foods. They cause cancer and brain damage. 5) Milk is filthy with microbes. Cow’s milk drinkers consume bovine leukemia viruses, bovine immunodeficiency viruses, listeria bacteria, mad cow prions, and much more. 6) Osteoporosis and kidney stones are from bone loss caused by eating animal proteins and dietary acids. Hard cheese is the greatest source of dietary acids. 7) Constipation is caused by lack of dietary fiber. Dairy products contain no dietary fiber. Plus cow’s milk protein causes allergic reactions, which paralyze the bowels making it almost impossible for children and adults to move their rock-hard stools. 8) Cow’s milk protein is the most common dietary cause of allergy and autoimmune diseases, including nephritis (kidney disease) and severe forms of arthritis. 9) Lactose, the basic milk sugar, causes the majority of people worldwide to become sick with diarrhea, stomach cramps, and gas (lactose intolerance). 10) The factory farming of dairy cows is considered to be animal abuse and production of dairy foods is a leading cause of environmental pollution and climate change. Hopefully, today’s headlines will cause you to eliminate all cows’ milk products from your life. John McDougall, MD www.drmcdougall.com

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Foods Born in St. Louis

St. Louis Originals

• Toasted Ravioli - invented in 1943 or 1944 at Oldani's on “The Hill”, a predominantly Italian neighborhood, though others also claim the invention. As the story goes, the delicacy was stumbled upon when a raviolo was accidentally dropped into the fryer by Chef Fritz. "Mickey Garagiola, older brother of Major League Baseball Hall-of-Famer, Joe Garagiola, was actually at the bar during the mishap and was the first to taste the accidental treat.
• Gooey butter cake - legend has it that in the 1930s a German baker got the proportions wrong (reversing the proportions of sugar and flour) and the rest is history - available at most area bakeries and grocery stores.  
  
  The St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission includes a recipe for the cake on its website, calling it "one of St. Louis' popular, quirky foods"; the recipe calls for a bottom layer of butter and yellow cake batter, and a top layer made from eggs, cream cheese, and, in one case, almond extract. The cake is dusted with confectioner's sugar before being served. 
• Pork Steaks - Pork butt sliced as a steak, often Bar-B-Qued - a cook at home favorite.  St. Louis is said to consume more barbecue sauce per capita than any other city in the nation. St. Louis-style barbecue sauce is described as a "very sweet, slightly acidic, sticky, tomato-based barbecue sauce.
• The Concrete - Ted Drewes Frozen Custard (Ice Cream) mixed with candy, fruit, and/or nuts. "concrete" - custard blended with any combination of dozens of ingredients, served in a large yellow cup with a spoon and straw. The mixture is so thick that a spoon inserted into the custard does not fall if the cup is inverted. A history dates back to 1929.
  
• Peanut Butter - In 1890, an unknown St. Louis physician encouraged a food products company owner, George A. Bayle Jr., to process and package ground peanut paste as a nutritious protein substitute for people with poor teeth who couldn't chew meat. Peanut paste was sold for six cents per pound.
• The Slinger -  Breakfast of champions.  The Slinger is considered to be a St. Louis late-night culinary original. It is described as "a hometown culinary invention: a mishmash of meat, hash-fried potatoes, eggs, and chili, sided with your choice of ham, sausage, bacon, hamburger patties, or an entire T-bone steak.
• Provel cheese - Developed as a shelf-stable cheese often found as topping for the next entry (St. Louis style Pizza), it's name may lead some to think it is a shorthand name for provolone.  It is in fact a processed cheese of cheddar, swiss and provolone. Provel is rarely used elsewhere.
• St. Louis style Pizza - A thin crusted pizza with Provel ™ Cheese, slices cut into rectangles instead of the pie-like wedges typical of many pizza styles.
  
• Brain Sandwich - a sandwich with sliced calves' brains on sliced bread.  Became popular in St. Louis after the rise of the city's stockyards in the late 1880s, although demand there has so dwindled that only a handful of restaurants still offer them.
• Gerber Sandwich - The Gerber sandwich originated at the locally famous Ruma's Deli.  It is an open-faced sandwich, with Italian or French bread, garlic butter, ham, and provel cheese. It is sprinkled with paprika and toasted.
• St. Paul Sandwich - an Egg Foo Young Patty served with Salad between bread. They're still available at a lot of St. Louis "Chop Suey" restaurants. 

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Limit My Binges!

Well, things are getting better..... I have been limiting the binges to 1 day a week ..... not perfect, but at least I am able to stop and get back on track.

I guess there are benefits to having a weekly planned binge.  The main one seems to be the lack of guilt over the binge.  But I don't know if this is the best thing to do.

Oh well, for now it is what it is..... onward and upward....downward

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Why do I go on a binge eating frenzy?

Each time I binge, I promise myself I’ll never do it again.  And I am able to hold firm for a little bit and then the irresistible urge hits again

I seem to do better if I am really strict on an eating plan - it seems that if I just eat one bad thing it sends me on a bender and all bets are off.

On friday night I literally ate until I was sick.  And of course I wonder why I do this to myself.  I then go in panic mode and vow to NEVER do that again.

Well, tomorrow is another day.....

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Slow and Steady

I am happy to report that I am still progressing and am really finding that slow and steady is where I am at.... 76 pounds down now in about 6 months.  I say slow and steady because it was fast and furious at the beginning, but has really slowed down.

I know that most of that is because I am settling in and not being as strict.  But that is okay too.  My goal is long term weight loss.

This is the most I have ever lost.  I do have the fear that I will gain it back and I think that is why I am so thrilled to be keeping it off and losing a little bit too :)

I am trying to eat as many "whole foods" like fruits and vegetables (I gave up on the low carb because I wasn't feeling as good).  Trial and error has been a big part of this journey.  I figure any program works if you stick with it.

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My weight loss update

It has been an exciting time for me..... I have finally broke through my 45 lb curse.... more times than I would  like to admit, I have lost 45 lbs and then proceeding to gain it back.

Now I am 73 lbs down!!! and still going strong!!

I have been reading every book I can get my hands on, and with trial and error, trying to see what really works for me.

I enjoyed doing the fruit, smoothie and veggie plan, but after about a week I had so much joint pain.  One of the best things about losing the weight has been the absence of pain.  But one week on the sweet carbs, all natural, really brought the pain back.  I have always read that sugar causes inflammation, but I was hoping it was just the bad sugar and not the sugar in fruits.

I have also discovered that exercise, while helping to firm up and maintain health, has had SO little impact on my weight loss.  That is good and bad.  It is a relief not to have to try and kill myself with cardio, but I would have preferred it having a bigger impact on my weight loss.

Currently I am following a low carb plan, and have been really intrigued by the Primal Blueprint.  Intermittent fasting has also really helped me get into ketosis and fat burning mode.

I started this new journed on 9/6/2013 and today is 3/16/2014 and I am down 73 lbs.!!!

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New Beginnings..... Again

Struggling on...... again....

But this time I have decided to make an investment in myself and hire a weight loss coach.

So far it has been the best decision I have made about my weight struggle and my health.  I have been meeting with him every 2 weeks for 8 weeks now and I have lost 32 lbs!!!!

It has really seemed to make a difference that I have paid the money AND made the commitment.

A few things seems better this time - I am getting rid of the bigger clothes as I outgrown them :)



I have even gotten a few "inspiration" pieces in my goal size - my favorite one is a Michael Kors jacket.  It is SOOO cute!

I even think i can actually image myself skinny!!

The plan is healthy food and exercise - wow, what a novel concept.

It is hard work, but it is a new lifestyle for me - just taking it day by day :)

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