Long time reader but first post

[Patrick]

I first read one of Dr. McDougall's books about 10 years ago and have kept up with the website since 1999. My father died of a heart attack in 1980 at age 53 while I was a Senior in college. Over the years I have had great interest in the Pritikin and Ornish programs and more recently Dr. McDougall's work. I now follow a low-fat vegan diet 50 - 90% of the time but would like to improve this to 90 - 100%. Knowing what to eat has never been a problem for me; doing it has been a little harder.

My weight is not bad. I am just within the "acceptable" BMI range; however, I could stand to lose 10 pounds or so. I exercise regularly by walking or jogging. My cholesterol and BP are quite good and under control with minimal doses of Lipitor and lisinopril (one of the reasons I would like to be more diligent with my diet).

My biggest reason for wanting to follow the McDougall style more closely is that I am at age 48 the father of two great kids, 8 and 5. In one video I have seen of a presentation with Dr. McDougall, he says that he would eat cardboard if it might give him one extra day with his grandson -- I feel the same way about wanting to stick around to be with my kids. My wife is generally supportive of good nutrition (she still doesn't want to give up cheese or ice cream). She ran her first marathon (for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society) and ultra-marathon last year and is a great inspiration to me!

For those who are new to the site and program, I have found that it works. About 6 years ago I lost 20 lbs and decreased by cholesterol from the high 200's to less than 150 by following a low-fat vegetarian diet and taking the minimal dose of Lipitor. I believe I am in better shape and health at 48 than I was at 28. Again, good luck to those just starting.

I also appreciate the posts by others on the site - the meal ideas and testimonials have been helpful in my attempts to stay with the program.

[Malva]

Welcome to the board!

Have you ever considered getting your health improved to the point where you wouldn't have to suppress your liver's normal functions with drugs?

[Sunny]

Sounds like you do pretty well, you could get off the meds if you followed McDougall strictly ~~~ as for dairy, have you ever gone to the website "notmilk.com" It may change your wife's mind about what she is eating.
Nice to have you posting here, hope to see more.

[Patrick]

Reducing or getting off the medications is a goal, particularly the bp med since it has been added by my doctor only in the last year or so. I have been taking the statin for 7 years without any side effects and regularly have my cholesterol and liver function checked. I also understand that the statins appear to have some anti-inflammatory benefits. A few years ago I followed a low-fat vegetarian diet (Ornish style, with non-fat dairy and egg whites) and was able to reduce my cholesterol considerably but not below 200 or anywhere near 150. With more diligence with the low-fat vegan diet, perhaps I can at least reduce the statin dose.

My wife has seen the McDougall videos on diary but really enjoys her cheese and occasional ice cream. Her grandmother and great-grandmother lived to 100+ and her mother is in very good health. My wife's bp and cholesterol are very low - nothing like good genes. There is some history of certain cancers, so someday I may have some luck in convincing her to move away from diary. Otherwise we eat a lot of vegan meals with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.