Having worked alongside tech legends like Steve Jobs and transitioned into a passionate advocate for plant-based living, Chris brings a unique perspective to the table.
Join us in this enlightening interview with Chris Macaskill, an esteemed earth scientist and former tech entrepreneur, who shares his expert insights on the myths surrounding low-carb diets and their long-term implications on health.
Category: Motivational
“Stop Getting Annual Physicals!” – Dr. McDougall’s Surprising Advice
This is Jeff Nelson’s February 2025 newsletter, looking back at a 2012 discussion video. He is quoted as follows:
From The Archives: Plant-Based Experts Answer Your Questions (2012)
I recently came across a fascinating Q&A panel from our 2012 VegSource Healthy Lifestyle Expo featuring some of the pioneers in plant-based nutrition, including Drs. John McDougall and Michael Klaper, Brenda Davis RD, Rich Roll, John and Ocean Robbins, and Rev. Heng Sure. Here are some of the compelling topics they addressed:
Autism & Relationship-Based Approaches
A pediatrician asked about promising treatments for autism, specifically regarding eye contact improvements. The panel discussed relationship-based approaches like the Son-Rise Program as alternatives to behavioral modification, emphasizing how these principles could benefit all relationships.
B12 Supplementation
The experts discussed vitamin B12 recommendations, with consensus around supplementing with either 100 or 1000 mcg doses. Dr. McDougall emphasized that brand choice wasn’t critical, but proper dosing was key due to absorption rates.
Cancer & Diet
Dr. McDougall shared his groundbreaking 1982 study on dietary treatment of breast cancer. While noting that hardcore randomized controlled trial data is limited (largely due to funding priorities favoring drug research), he emphasized the logic of removing dietary factors that may have contributed to the cancer’s development.
Fruit Consumption
There was an interesting discussion about optimal fruit intake. Dr. McDougall recommended limiting to about three fresh fruits daily for the general population, while Brenda Davis shared that she personally consumes 5-6 servings daily. They cautioned against excessive fruit juice consumption and rapid smoothie consumption, suggesting taking time to properly chew and digest smoothies.
Raw Food Diets
The panel had a thought-provoking exchange about raw food diets. Dr. McDougall strongly advocated for cooked foods, stating that human civilization developed because of cooking. Brenda Davis suggested a more moderate approach, recommending 60-75% raw combined with some cooked foods for better nutrient absorption.
Annual Physical Exams
In a surprising take, Dr. McDougall strongly advised against routine annual physical exams, citing recommendations from medical authorities that they can lead to over-testing and unnecessary treatments. He emphasized that the body will signal when medical attention is needed.
The discussion highlighted how many of these topics remain relevant today, while also showing how our understanding has evolved over the past decade. It’s fascinating to look back at these conversations that helped shape the plant-based movement.
Per Cent % Fat
[Ed: These are only estimates, just to provide compare & contrast info.]
Oils 100%
Walnut = Brazil nut 89%
Avocado 84%
Almond 77%
Cashew nut 71%
Flaxseed 71%
Peanuts 70%
Salmon 50%
Beef = Pork 60%
Soybeans 40%
Chicken = turkey roasted breast 37%
Hemp seeds 30%
Sunflower seeds – raw 22%
Peanut Butter – no added oils 22%
Oatmeal 16%
Quinoa 14%
Garbanzo beans 13%
Olive (whole, black) 11%
Corn = Millet 10%
Tahini 10%
Spinach 9%
Barley = brown rice 6%
Almond Pulp (acquired from filtering homemade almond milk) ~ 4% (9.6÷240g)
Green beans & peas 5%
Black beans 4%
Lentils 3%
Fruits 3-5%
– Apple 3%
– Banana 4%
– Blueberry 5%
– Watermelon 4%
– Orange 2%
Plain Peanut Butter powder like PB Pure 2%
Carrots = tomato 1%
Brown Basmati rice 1 to 3%
White rice 1.3%
Potato=sweet potato 1%
Almond milk (homemade 1:5 ratio water to raw almonds) 1%
How to get healthy fast
Thumbnail: Dr John McDougall, the best doctor who ever lived. The Mcdougall diet = 90% of calories from starch. 5% from fruits. 5% from vegetables.
Sprouts for Better Health: Nutrient-Rich Foods You Can Grow
He watched what he ate. “Everything I saw, I ate!”
Many years ago, I was a 253 blob of a man with a cholesterol of 420. My best friend was a doctor who told me to just watch what I eat. That was the problem—everything I saw, I ate!
Biking and working out became an obsession, but you can’t outwork a bad diet. So, I read and researched again. I found the work of T. Colin Campbell, Dr. Ornish, Dr. Esselstyn, Dr. Barnard and all those who believe in a plant based whole food diet. I even read How Not To Die by Dr. Gregor. I sucked the information in like a sponge.
Somehow while searching YouTube, I discovered Dr. McDougall. How lucky for me because The Starch Solution was my solution! So easy, so tasty, no limitations on volume and all comfort food…heaven at last! And the weight melted off of me.
https://www.drmcdougall.com/education/star-mcdougall-stories/sheldon/
‘My next home must be fireproof’: Why more Angelenos are looking to build ‘SuperAdobes’
Nice photos of life work of the editor’s dear late neighbor, Persian architect Nader Khalili. [Editor is a graduate of Khalili’s SuperAdobe construction course.]
He always told us that a fire would not destroy, but only STRENGTHEN the structures – similar to firing a pot in a kiln. Khalili’s children run the exhibition site now.
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/next-home-must-fireproof-why-110015067.html
Lifestyle Beats Genetics on Path to Premature Death, Study Finds
ADVICE FOR OVER 65s: Preventing THIS TRAGIC PROBLEM (Naturally)
1) Optimize vision and hearing
2) Strength and Balance training
3) Posture and Gait exercises
4) Home safety modifications
5) Wearing supportive footwear
6) Getting enough Vitamin D
7) Getting enough protein
8) Staying hydrated
9) Stay metabolically healthy
Thank you Dr Suneel!!
Bobby Jenks announces stomach cancer diagnosis
(Former baseball athlete accepts personal responsibility)
Jenks, 43, shared his current condition from a Portugal hospital bed during an interview with MLB.com Saturday morning.
“You know, the s— I was doing in my 20s and early 30s, no normal person would have survived,” Jenks told MLB.com. “So, in one way, I’m grateful to be alive. In another way, I’m not surprised this happened. It goes to show you have to take care of yourself from top to bottom with nutrition and exercise and having a good daily plan.”
Jenks added, “I’m not saying you need to turn yourself into a Greek god, but you need to watch what you put into your body. Unfortunately, in my 20s, it was the last thing on my mind, being worried about what was going in. I’m not saying that’s 100 percent the factor of what happened here.”
The 43-year-old spent the majority of his seven-year MLB career with the White Sox, where he was a member of the 2005 World Series championship team.
https://nypost.com/2025/02/15/sports/bobby-jenks-announces-stomach-cancer-diagnosis/