Ever Heard of the McDougall Program?

I continue to look for ways to transition to a raw diet, slowly eliminating the dairy foods I'm eating and adding more plant-based foods. Today I was reading about the McDougall Program. It is not meant as a raw diet, but it does tout whole, unprocessed foods, for the most part (and you can eat many of the foods raw, of course). The differences between what he promotes and what I eat now is that he doesn't allow dairy or any type of vegetable oil (I love my olive oil). He also promotes the use of tofu as a replacement for some common Standard American Diet foods, while I eat tofu only in moderation due to the controversy over whether soy is good or bad for you. His diet is centered around starchy vegetables, with fruits and vegetables (green and yellow) making up much of the rest of the diet. He promotes the use of whole grains, egg free pasta and a tiny amount of noodles made from highly-refined flours (he prefers unrefined flours). He provides a 12-day diet plan and grocery list.

What I really like is that he encourages people to get lab tests from their doctors and to chart their progress so they can see the difference the diet makes. Those of you who have read my blog over the past year know that I'm a little jaded about following anecdotal advice from raw food enthusiasts regarding what I should eat. I'm all about trying something new if I feel the rationale is based on established facts and not just spiritual or political beliefs. (I have nothing against spirituality or politics, but when it comes to my health I prefer to eat what my own body responds well to and my lab results show me works well).

So I'm thinking that the next time I go shopping, I may take his shopping list with me and give this McDougall plan a try as a stepping stone to all-raw. I'm concerned about protein, still, but he- like many raw foodists, in fact- is not concerned about protein deficiencies from plant-based foods. He does recommend a B-12 vitamin for long term McDougall plan followers.

What do you think of the McDougall Program? Here's the link so you can read about it yourself: http://www.drmcdougall.com/free.html.