Dr. John McDougall was drawn to medicine because of his own health “fate.”
At 18, he suffered a massive stroke and was an anomaly to the doctors who wanted to explore how this could happen to someone so young. This inspired his own journey to become a doctor, which eventually led Dr. McDougall and his wife, Mary, to Hawaii as doctors on a sugar plantation. What he saw there completely changed the course of his medical practice.
Those first-generation elders who had come from China, Japan, Korea, and the Philippines were the healthiest and most vibrant people. They were still active, on no medications, and still in bodies fit for movement. However, it was their children and grandchildren - those second and third generations - that were struggling in their health.
Why? They had adopted a western diet of meat, dairy, and processed foods.
The secret to health, Dr. McDougall discovered, was the power of STARCH. Those healthy islanders who were vibrant and healthy subsisted on a diet comprised mostly of rice, potatoes, vegetables, and fruits.
So simple and beautiful, right?
Well, so is this inspiring conversation from one of the giants. He’s been a mentor for decades and it was an honor to talk about the past, present, and future with Dr. John McDougall.