 It took a long time, but I finally finished reading How Not to Die: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease by Michael Greger, M.D. The biggest reason why it took so long is that I got really into it and took a ton of notes. That's the biggest sign that I enjoyed a book and learned a lot from it. I liked the scientific rigor of the book and how the author (a physician) focused on reviewing the actual strong published medical literature and studies for the best recommendations on diet and lifestyle. The book ended with around 150 pages of citations, the vast majority of which were PubMed-style references to medical journals, and I liked how most of the studies seemed to be of high quality (double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled). I also liked the author's wit and personality injected throughout the book. I'm already putting into practice a lot of the recommendations from the book. Truly integrating these lessons is going to take some work, but this gives you a very actionable path forward to introducing more vegetables, spices, and good dietary practices (moving more towards whole, plant-based foods). My full notes on the book are below. Preface
Bodies heal themselves when stop eating artery clogging foods nutritionfacts.org Intro Diet number one cause of disease Physicians inadequately trained on nutrition Risk for diseases change when you move countries and change diets Best is unprocessed whole plant foods Four key factors to reduce disease risk Don’t smoke Don’t be overweight 30 min of exercise per day Eat right Whole foods Refined grains, soda, and meat quickens telomere loss Quality not quantity of food eaten is the key Telomeres regrow through better food choices and reverse heart disease Best diet is one that is whole food plant based diet Discourages meat, dairy, eggs, processed foods Treat the cause not the symptoms Reimbursement more impactful than research Non genetic favors like diet have much bigger impact on disease risk Twin studies show that diet much more impactful than genes 1 how not to die from heart disease Our top killer No benefit from fish oil supplements or eating fatty fish Plaque buildup starts in heart shoe in pregnant mom based on her diet Trans fat and saturated fat worst Eating animal products and processed junk the worst Best target cholesterol under 150 and LDL under 70 Diet centered around whole plant food Healthy diet reverses heart disease Endotoxins from animal products Vegan diet reverses angina Brazil nuts improve cholesterol levels in just a single journal and remains a month later. Just eat 4 per month because have a lot of selenium. 2 How not to die from lung diseases Healthy diet protects against lung cancer Load up on broccoli. Stops metasteses. Kale lowered bad cholesterol Turmeric prevents cancer Prenatal exposure to barbecue fumes affects birth size and head size and future cognitive development Living next to restaurant increases cancer due to exhaust fumes of cooked food. Chinese restaurants worst effect. Bacon fumes worst Asthma worse from diet based on animal products Supplements of vitamins don’t help but actual fruit and vegetable intake better 3 how not to die from brain diseases High fiber diet reduces risks Need to eat more potassium. Not potassium. Greens, beans, sweet potato best. Citrus great. Oranges best. 8 hours of sleep best Antioxidants. Those fruits like mangoes that don’t turn brown when exposed to air. Add lemons to fruit salad so doesn’t turn brown. bit.ly/antioxidantfoods Clogged arteries lead to Alzheimer’s Diet can trump genetics More saturated fats worse for brain Berries great for brain health Saffron best helping spice against Alzheimer’s Cooking with wet methods better than with dry Aerobic exercise helps cognitive function 4 how not to die from digestive cancers Turmeric very good Fiber intake 5 how not to die from infections Sneeze into crook of elbow Diet strengthens immune system Kale Broccoli Vegetables activate immune system with each meal Berries Probiotics Cardamom Prebiotics are in beans and whole plant foods and greens Exercise boosts immune system Boosting immunity with mushrooms Eggs and chicken contaminated with salmonella Bladder and uti infections caused by E. coli from chicken 6 how not to die from diabetes Insulin resistance Higher fat intake leads to insulin resistance Kids eating veggie diets grow taller Saturated fats in animal foods Legumes help prevent diabetes Veggie diet better than caloric restriction People feel better on plant based diet Plants cure diabetes 7 how not to die from high blood pressure Over 120 is high blood pressure Sodium too much dangerous Low sodium diet reverses high blood pressure Chicken breasts stuffed with salt in production Each thing you eat should have less sodium than calories or grams of serving size Dairy and meat raise blood pressures over vegan Raw vegetables better than cooked Ground flax seed very good Beans, chickpeas, Lentils good Hibiscus tea good Beet juice Arugula Eat big salad daily 8 how not to die from liver diseases Oatmeal, whole wheat, brown rice good Make your own cranberry cocktail Whole food better than supplement Coffee helps 9 how not to die from blood cancers Plant diet helps prevent Real açaí berries actually good Cloves, cinnamon, purple cabbage Curcumin 10 how not to die from kidney disease Animal protein more acidic than plant Purple cabbage Nitrosamines carcinogenic in hot dogs 11 how not to die from breast cancer Vigorous exercise protects Better melatonin control helps Black beans good Lots of fiber Apple a day Broccoli defends Flax seeds soybeans 12 how not to die for suicidal depression Saffron 13 how not to die from prostate cancer Milk harmful Eggs linked to prostate progression Eggs and poultry worst Add cruciferous vegetables Igf1 14 how not to die from Parkinson’s disease Reduce dioxin intake Dairy blocks benefits of berries Coffee helps 15 how not to die from iatrogenic causes of doctors Dietary antioxidants better than supplements Salicylic acid Part 2 introduction Traffic light system Daily dozen iPhone app Opportunity cost of eating one thing versus another What’s healthier depends on compared to what Nuts, soy foods, whole grains and less meat and dairy Traffic light categories in pdf Plant vs animal foods Unprocessed vs processed foods If it came from a plant, eat it. If it was made in a plant, don’t. Milling of wheat into white flour is processing it Unprocessed means nothing bad added, nothing good taken away Just scale back unhealthy if can’t totally avoid 3 step method Think of 3 green light meals u already enjoy Whole grain pasta marinara sauce with veggies Think of 3 meals that could be adapted to be green light Switch from beef chili to 5 bean chili Discover 3 new healthy options Forksoverknives.com Straightupfood.com Happyheathylonglife.com PCRM 21 day kick-start program online starts first of every month Think of it as an experiment What he eats The more u eat healthy, the better it tastes Greger Daily dozen Dry erase board checklist on fridge In supplemental pdf 5 glasses of beverages Beans can be any legumes and lentils Ground flax seeds Turmeric, vinegar 90 minutes of moderate exercise or 40 minutes of intense PB banana sandwich knocks off 4 boxes at once; easy to do several at a time Frozen berries in freezer Beans Serving is around 0.5-1 cup Legumes with every meal: beans, chickpeas, lentils Soy Miso soup Edamame English peas Lentils. Sprouted lentils. Buy no salt added canned beans Roasted chickpeas Black bean brownies Berries ½ cup per day Pigment is the antioxidant so the more color the better Strawberries, blackberries Fructose only in added sugar bad and contributes to weight gain but not in fruits Eating fruits with dessert or white bread slows release of insulin Eating crazy high amount of fruit still doesn’t have adverse effects Frozen berries as nutritious as natural Soft serve ice cream made just in blender from frozen Tart cherries Goji berries helps with macular degeneration Black currants help with computer eye strain Blending better than juicing Other fruits Apples Dates Mango Kiwi Citrus and peel Cruciferous vegetables Arugula Cauliflower, broccoli Sprinkle mustard powder to broccoli Horseradish Roasted cauliflower or broccoli Kale chips Purple or red cabbage Broccoli sprouts and growing own veggies at home in kitchen Greens Cup of raw or half cup of cooked Spinach Chlorophyll eaten by body combines with sunlight to create CoQ10 Black or Tuscan kale best Balsamic glaze Green smoothies: liquid, ripe fruit, greens Fresh mint leaves Pair greens with something u love like nuts Put everything u eat on a bed of greens Vinegar great for blood sugar control Even consuming vinegar outside meals good Apple cider vinegar Salad days Avoid alfalfa sprouts because lots of salmonella Other vegetables Oyster mushrooms Sweet potatoes Carrots Boiled purple potatoes Pair veggies with peanut butter and salad dressing dips Kids and adults will eat more when call the fruits and veggies more fun names The more parents eat veggies the more kids do Cruciferous veggies plus garlic or onion Bell peppers best eaten raw At least half your plate should be filled with vegetables Flaxseeds 1 tablespoon ground per day Better ground than oil Dried fruit and nut bars calorie rich but don’t contribute to weight gain Trail mix Nuts and seeds ¼ cup of nuts or 2 tablespoons of butter Blended nuts to make creamy sauces Walnuts best Peanut butter very good Nuts boost metabolism Pistachio nuts for sexual dysfunction ED predicts heart problems Eat lots of seeds Herbs and spices Quarter teaspoon turmeric per day plus other spices Salt-free herbs and spices Pick out foods with most vibrant colors How to eat turmeric Combine with some source of fat Fresh turmeric root (¼ inch per day) Grate onto other veggies Can consume with soy Good for lentil, brown rice Supplements worse Saffron Fenugreek improves muscle strength Cilantro Cayenne pepper Ginger powder in water relieves migraines and menstrual cramps Lemon ginger apple juice or apple juice Peppermint Oregano and marjoram Cloves Amla indian spice/fruit. Can buy the powder online or in indian stores. Capsule as last resort. Breakfast smoothie recipe in book with antioxidants Garam masala Spice mixes Smoked paprika Whole grains 3 servings per day Lowers inflammation Red quinoa better. More color better. Colored rice. 8 checkmark pesto recipe Popcorn Bionature brand pasta 5:1 rule: grams of carbs to grams of fiber should be 5 or less Apply same rule to cereals Puffed cereal worse than non-puffed Oats Beverages Teas 5 glasses tap water per day Zero milk per day Water is top drink Drinking water improves cognitive performance Add fruits and berries to water Green tea best Helps skin and spring allergies If add lemon then white tea Better than green 1 minute steeping enough Throw tea leaves into smoothie Matcha powder The best sweetener Blackstrap molasses Or date sugar Erithritol best artificial one but only good for increasing consumption of green light foods Hibiscus tea Daily tea recipe Rinse mouth with water after drinking anything sour Exercise 90 minutes of moderate or 40 min of intense daily Stand up more Walking meetings Standing and treadmill desks Treat sore muscles with plants Berries help Conclusion Addictions Nutritionfacts.org Appendix vitamin b12 once per week 2500 mcg or 250 per day in cyanocobalamin form vitamin d3 2,000 IU daily with largest meal of day iodine in nori seaweed snacks/sheets but without too much added ingredients (mostly plain better; recipe in book for making own with ginger juice) 250 mg of Pollutant-Free (Yeast- or Algae- Derived) Long-Chain Omega-3s Daily
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