THE BASICS
- Title: How Not to Die
- Author: Dr. Michael Greger, MD (with Gene Stone)
- Genre: Health Science Nonfiction
- Structure: Linear first-person
- First Line: “It all started with my grandmother.”
Synopsis: From the physician behind the wildly popular website NutritionFacts.org, How Not to Die reveals the groundbreaking scientific evidence behind the only diet that can prevent and reverse many of the causes of disease-related death. The vast majority of premature deaths can be prevented through simple changes in diet and lifestyle. In How Not to Die, Dr. Michael Greger, the internationally-renowned nutrition expert, physician, and founder of NutritionFacts.org, examines the fifteen top causes of premature death in America — heart disease, various cancers, diabetes, Parkinson’s, high blood pressure, and more — and explains how nutritional and lifestyle interventions can sometimes trump prescription pills and other pharmaceutical and surgical approaches, freeing us to live healthier lives. The simple truth is that most doctors are good at treating acute illnesses but bad at preventing chronic disease. The fifteen leading causes of death claim the lives of 1.6 million Americans annually. This doesn’t have to be the case. By following Dr. Greger’s advice, all of it backed up by strong scientific evidence, you will learn which foods to eat and which lifestyle changes to make to live longer. History of prostate cancer in your family? Put down that glass of milk and add flaxseed to your diet whenever you can. Have high blood pressure? Hibiscus tea can work better than a leading hypertensive drug-and without the side effects. Fighting off liver disease? Drinking coffee can reduce liver inflammation. Battling breast cancer? Consuming soy is associated with prolonged survival. Worried about heart disease (the number 1 killer in the United States)? Switch to a whole-food, plant-based diet, which has been repeatedly shown not just to prevent the disease but often stop it in its tracks. In addition to showing what to eat to help treat the top fifteen causes of death, How Not to Die includes Dr. Greger’s Daily Dozen — a checklist of the twelve foods we should consume every day. Full of practical, actionable advice and surprising, cutting edge nutritional science, these doctor’s orders are just what we need to live longer, healthier lives.
THE GOOD
I’m going to give you a little background on me because reviewing fiction work is one thing. It’s a whole other thing to review and comment on a book based in science, especially one on health. The health world is riddled with false information, so this can be tricky. In college, I was a dual major: Dietetics and Italian Language. I ended up not completing my Dietetics degree because the University of Arizona changed their program when I was halfway through my junior year. They determined that, under the new program, I would have to spend an additional 2 years in studies in order to graduate. It was frustrating as hell. They wouldn’t budge and since I was paying for college, every semester counted. I just didn’t have the financial leeway for that, so I dropped it. Anyway, my point is that I do have a foundation in dietetics (aka the ultra science-y side of nutrition), so when I make comments, that’s where it’s coming from.
I first learned about this book from Xenia Adonts. I follow her on Instagram and she was gushing about it on stories. Usually, I write off health books. 99% of “nutrition” books on the market are a load of crap designed to make you a) feel bad about yourself, b) shill their merchandise and supplements in subtle ways, and/or c) based almost completely on opinion or a scenario that worked for their body, but not based on scientific research designed for the general public. In other words: utter crap.
However, Xenia was screenshotting some of the pages and passages in this book and I was hooked. I was still a bit skeptical, but I was recovering from surgery. So, I bought it and gave it a go anyway. I do have some notes about this book that I didn’t like, but overall, I am so damn glad I got this and this exists. Everyone needs this book. Here are some detailed things I loved:
- Dr. Greger knows his stuff. I absolutely cannot say this about every MD. Most MDs have less than a week’s worth of nutritional training. They don’t know much more than any person off the street. What adds even more insult to injury are the MDs that try to bankroll their patients into “nutrition” programs that either advocate for some weight loss drug (with horrendous side effects) or to put their patient into a monitored eating program where they’re allowed to eat the daily caloric equivalent of a 5-year old. My point is that there’s a lot of misinformation and blatant manipulation by MDs in the US. I have deep respect for Dr. Greger to take his time and his knowledge to educate people on the truth.
- I have to recognize Dr. Greger a bit more. He puts a lot of free information out there on his website. I think this book is his ultimate piece of work, but if you want to get an idea as to what it contains, his website has some good info, too. This is not the kind of book where all the content is already on the Internet and they packed into a book (aka cheating lol). Most of this is brand new. You can tell that he takes his time to sift through research to be sure he’s giving the most accurate, studied, and up-to-date information. To be honest, it’s hard to find people that care this much about others and Dr. Greger is a gem.
- This book is an incredibly fascinating read. There’s so much information packed into this book. I have the Kindle version, but I almost want to go out and buy a hard copy, too. Essentially, he walks you through the major fatal diseases you can get and why they happen. I’ve learned a ton by reading this. I now feel like I can make food choices based on fueling my body and know why and how that specific thing is fueling my cells.
- The book is written in a way where you do not need to be a science nerd to understand it. Gene Stone did a great job at writing this. There were many moments that I thought were funny (so random for this book, but true) and relatable. I think Stone excelled at breaking down scientific explanations and research into something that can be digested by those who have no science background.
- This has become an automatic staple. I’m looking forward to any more books Greger puts out in the future as more and more research is done. There’s so much muddled crap out there in the nutrition world that it can sometimes be confusing as to which way is up. Is someone pushing a diet because it’s a fad or because it’s the truth? Is this new “it” thing really a solution or is it just all hype? This book takes away all that gray area and lays it out straight. No confusion. No guessing. Here it is. I also love that at the end of the book, Greger goes through a food list and breaks down what specific foods do what and why they’re good.
THE UNFAVORABLE BITS
I can sit here and gush all day about this book. However, there were only a couple things that rubbed me the wrong way. Honestly, if you’re not into science, you’re probably not going to care about this part. In which case, go enjoy your life. Get this book and read it twice.
For me, one thing that was glaring were some of Greger’s research choices to support his theory. Greger goes over a lot of theories with the umbrella theory that plants reign in longevity. While the research is solid for the main theory, some of the studies chosen for the micro-theories were weak.
For example, there’s a part of the book where he argues that turmeric may have a positive effect on colon cancer tumors. The study he chose was based on 21 people. In that study, only 2 people showed to have any positive response to increased turmeric intake. If you’ve studied statistics, then you know that statistically this study means virtually nothing. There is no “statistical significance”. The “p” value sucks. Any scientist would’ve tossed this study based on that and the fact that there seems to not have been replications (another important factor when determining the conclusion to a hypothesis) in this experiment.
While Greger acknowledges these points ever so slightly, he ultimately dismisses them to continue with his theory. This is all fine and well when you’re hypothesizing in the science community. But, when you’re talking to the general public about a beast like cancer, it’s best to error on the more conservative side because false hope can be more damaging to a cancer patient’s will to live than anything else. And, will to live is vital in cancer patient’s. (Side note: I’m aware of cancer topics, research, realities, etc. because I began working with oncologists when I was 15. I wrote articles documenting their research teams at UCSD. Ultimately, I discontinued because oncology is a freaking hard specialty. Those are real people. It’s scary and painful all the time. It was amazing to be around such passionate individuals trying to change the face of medicine, but emotionally, way too much. Anyway, wanted to throw that in there so you have some background.)
As always, I give you a heads up about strong language or graphics in case you’re sensitive, or if the person you’re recommending the book to is sensitive. This book does not have strong language or graphics.
CONCLUSION
I rate this book 5/5 stars. I think this is a book everyone (and I mean everyone) should have in their arsenal. You’ll learn about how to create a true quality of life. No gimmicks. No silver bullets. No “life-changing” products. Dr. Greger is not only extremely educated on health, but cares enough to share it all with no detail left behind. This book is a wealth of knowledge that you will not find anywhere else. Now is always the time to live better, so get your copy as soon as you can!
GET YOUR COPY OF HOW NOT TO DIE!
