Post surgery Recovery
While Ruth was recovering from the surgery, she came across a newspaper commercial that appealed for volunteers to take part in a breast cancer research study. The team was led by Dr. John McDougall. In a meeting with Dr. McDougall, the result of the research was portrayed. Now, Ruth was wholly convinced about Dr. McDougall’s study. 

She instantly decided to shift to low fat vegan diet. She denied undergoing chemotherapy & radiation protocols. 

• The Dietary Shift:
  Switching to raw and vegan diet was pretty easy for Ruth. She already ate brown rice, whole wheat bread and oat meals. She had to include more vegetables in place of chicken, fish and low fat dairy products that she had been eating previously. 

This diet had immediate effects on Ruth. She overcame constipation the very next day, which she was troubled with for long. Her energy and endurance had perpetually increased. She could sleep better, now. 

Furthermore, the cancer was declining as the hot spots on her bones began to disappear; the grievous bone pain came to an end and liver enzymes organically normalized. The Arthritis that bothered her running had started vanishing, followed by recovery from joint pains; hence, she could stop consuming Naprosyns too.

Ruth’s family had a health history with osteoporosis. Whereas, regular bone scans showed that her bone density kept on leveraging with each test, which meant that she was getting enough calcium contents in the diet as well.

• Dr. McDougall’s diet plan:

Dr. McDougall’s diet plan is primarily – low fat, low protein and high plant starch. Here’s how – 

1. Dos –

• The diet consists of whole grain consumption like wheat berries, corn, barley, bulgur wheat, buckwheat, brown rice, wild rice, oats, faro, rye, millet, spelt, quinoa and triticale.
• It also comprises of leguminous food such as beans, lentils and peas.
  
  2. Don’ts – 

• NO animal protein like meat, eggs, fish or dairy products, instead plant based proteins; as animal protein is toxic for the body.
• NO additional fats or oils like coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, flaxseed or butter.3. Vegetables –  

•  Starch vegetables like sweet potato, potato, taro, yam, carrot, Jerusalem artichokes, turnip and parsnip were added.
• Non – starch vegetables like bok Choy, spinach, broccoli, sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, eggplant, beans, kale, leeks, onion, pepper, radish, scallion, tomatoes, Swiss chard and summer squash were also included.
  
  4. Fruits –

Only 3 servings a day of fruits were permitted as sugar content (fructose) in fruits can cause growth in cholesterol and triglycerides for some people.

1. Limitations – 

•  Foods high in fat were prevented like avocados, olives, seeds and nuts.
•  Processed foods, soda content, fast food and refined flours were avoided.
•  Refined sugars, dry fruits and fruit juices were strictly prohibited because of sugar rich content in it.
•  All types of soy based food products were also not included.

• Ruth’s After Journey:

While recovering from cancer, when Ruth heard about an ironman triathlon of – 2.4 miles of swimming, 112 miles biking and 26.2 miles of marathon; she decided to gear up for it. She believed it was the best way to prove to the world that deadliest challenges can be accomplished by eating vegan diets. Since her recovery, Ruth has completed 6 iron man races and around 67 marathons that have won her nearly 800 trophies. 

She has also been announced the title as ‘One of the Ten Fittest Women in North America’. Initially, Ruth had been studying PhD in Psychology before healing. But later, her interest inclined towards diet & exercise and therefore, she grabbed a PhD in Nutrition & Exercise Physiology instead.