Got a health problem? The right diet for our species just might fix it.

Last week, I heard from a good friend who was asking about a specific medical condition from which she was suffering. Since that time, I have spoken with three Massachusetts-based instructors for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM.org) While searching for information on one of those instructors (the one on Cape Cod), I found “her story” that had been posted on Dr. McDougall’s website in 2007.

The PCRM Food for Life Program features four primary food groups: fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes.

And now I have much more information to share with people who solicit advice from me about certain conditions. When I found her story amidst 80 other success stories on that website, I decided to share the entire list in this blogpost. As you may know, Dr. McDougall and his fellow plant-based medical doctors (Barnard, Fuhrman, Esselstyn & Ornish) disagree on a few things, but they all agree on this statement by Dr. Colin Campbell:

“The closer we get to eating a diet of whole, plant-based foods, the better off we will be.”

All five of those doctors recommend a diet that fits within our definition of 4Leaf; a diet that derives over 80% of its calories from whole, plant-based foods. And all of those doctors have had great success with the vast array of maladies covered below in the following list.

I attended an Advanced Study Weekend at Dr. McDougall’s California facility in 2007—the same site where Whole Foods CEO John Mackey brought a large group of his associates.

Scan the list of Dr. McDougall “Success Stories.”  (Not in any particular order)

1. Cures arthritis & hypertension and saves money
2. Winning Battle with Breast Cancer
3. Looking and feeling great in Alaska
4. 18 Year-old Cures Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis
5. Beyond Veganism
6. Loses 150 pounds
7. From Crippled to Running
8. Recovered, Severe Ulcerative Colitis
9. Running Marathons, Rheumatoid Arthritis
10. Stopping a lifetime of weight loss and gain
11. Overcoming Obesity for Good
12. Formerly Dying from Heart Disease
13. Finally winning the weight battle
14. Conquering my weight issues after 40 years
15. Standing up to the osteoporosis hype
16. Goodbye to Migraines!
17. Learning to Love Myself Again
18. The path to permanent weight-loss
19. Woman loses over 100 pounds
20. Reduces Cholesterol, Cures Arthritis, Helps Others
21. Listen to your body’s wake up calls
22. Choosing diet over drugs after a heart attack
23. Doctor saves self & wife, changing to a vegetarian diet
24. Beating the Genetic Odds
25. Diagnosed with MS; food became my medicine
26. Peter Rogers, MD Heals Self
27. Elderly, Angina, Reverses Heart Disease
28. Diabetes, Overweight, High Cholesterol
29. Irritable Bowel Syndrome
30. Weight Loss, Sleep Apnea
31. Heart Disease, Cholesterol, Hypertension
32. Stops Multiple Sclerosis
33. Cured Endometriosis
34. Hypertension, Atrial Fibrillation, Overweight
35. Lost Over 70 Pounds
36. Compulsive Overeating, Obesity
37. Hypertension, Marathon Runner
38. Dermatitis, Arthritis, Bursitis, Tendonitis, Iritis
39. IBS, Irritable Bowel Syndrome
40. Vegan Family
41. Depression, Hypertension, GERD, Obesity
42. Overweight, Athlete
43. Heart Failure, Coronary Artery Disease
44. Cures Morbid Obesity
45. Coronary Heart Disease, Hypertension
46. Cured Type-2 Diabetes and Obesity
47. Reversing Heart Disease
48. Physician, Cholesterol, Overweight
49. Depression, Heart Disease, Overweight
50. Model: No Longer Overweight
51. Cures Morbid Obesity
52. Lost 135 Pounds: Cures Morbid Obesity
53. Overweight, Cholesterol
54. Almost Lost to Lupus
55. Elderly Recover with Diet
56. Cures Rheumatoid Arthritis
57. Heart Disease
58. Weight Problems
59. Singer, Overweight
60. Cures Hypertension
61. Type-2 Diabetes, Obesity
62. Obesity, Type-2 Diabetes, Hypertension
63. Hypertension, Diabetes
64. Lupus Nephritis
65. Better Health, Overweight
66. Hiatal Hernia, GERD, Indigestion
67. Sheds 90 Pounds, Cures Obesity
68. Cures Rheumatoid Arthritis
69. Defeats Cancer and Osteoporosis, Breast Cancer
70. Cured Relapsing Polychondritis
71. Cures Obesity: 450 pounds down to 185 pounds
72. Elderly Recover with Diet
73. Cures Obesity, Weightlifter
74. Cures Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
75. Breast Cancer Treated with Diet
76. Painful Arthritis, Cholesterol
77. Cures Obesity, Arthritis
78. Permanently Cures Obesity
79. Overweight, Cholesterol
80. Overweight, High Blood Pressure
81. Overweight, Cholesterol

Regarding the friend who called me last week; she inspired me to write the blog that was posted on 10-12-12. No medical advice here — just life-saving referrals. As for my new friend on Cape Cod, you can find Joanne’s story in the #20 position on the list above. For her own PCRM page, click here. Send her an email and tell her J. Morris Hicks sent you.

My own Diseases tab. In the row of tab across the top of every page, you will find a drop-down list of common chronic diseases that can be prevented, slowed, stopped or reversed with a whole foods, plant-based diet. I created a separate page for each of those diseases. Take a look and take charge of your health today.

As for our own 4Leaf Success Stories, we’ve covered many of them in this blog and may set up a special page for them sometime soon. In the meantime, we love getting emails from all over the world from people who credit our book, blog and 4Leaf Program for “saving their lives.”

The following five books and one DVD can be purchased on Amazon for a grand total of less than $60—and will enable you to understand the overwhelming challenges we face—along with the single most-powerful solution of all.

Six-Pack from Hicks—for health, hope & harmony on planet Earth

1. Healthy Eating, Healthy World, The “big picture” about food (our book)
2. A life changer for millions, including James Cameron. Forks Over Knives DVD 
3. An essential scientific resource: The China Study by Dr. T. Colin Campbell; the primary book that influenced Bill Clinton to adopt a whole food, plant-based diet.
4. What have we done to our planet? Full Planet, Empty Plates by Lester Brown
5. A horrifying wake-up call for leaders. TEN BILLION by Dr. Stephen Emmott
6. Food choices are the primary cause of our environmental problems, yet our world leaders, scientists & experts are Comfortably Unaware, by Richard Oppenlander.

Why should we be eating mostly plants? The “big picture” in 4 minutes.

Want to find out how healthy your family is eating? Take our free 4Leaf Survey. It takes 2 or 3 minutes and you can score it yourself. After taking the survey, please give me your feedback as it will be helpful in the development of our future 4Leaf app for smartphones. Send feedback to jmorrishicks@me.com

International. We’re now reaching people in over 100 countries. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter or get daily blog notices by “following” us in the top of the right-hand column. For occasional updates, join our periodic mailing list.

J. Morris Hicks, working daily to promote health, hope and harmony on planet Earth.

To order more of my favorite books—visit our online BookStore now

For help in your own quest to take charge of your health, visit our 4Leaf page and also enjoy some great recipes from Lisa’s 4Leaf Kitchen.

Got a question? Let me hear from you at jmorrishicks@me.com. Or give me a call on my cell at 917-399-9700.

—J. Morris Hicks, board member since 2012; click banner for more info: