How Not to Die - book discussion

Tricia Nault

Right now I'm reading How Not to Die by Michael Gregor, MD

Has anyone else read it and if so, what did you think about it?

I'm not very far into it yet, but it's all about eating a whole foods, plant-based diet; how physicians are not trained in nutrition; that there's no sustaining business model for it; drug companies make money when people are sick and prescribed medications; that eating this type of diet can actually get the body to heal itself in many cases.

So, I'm just curious about what others think :)

Alyssa Yavorenko

I'm in the middle of reading this book, too! What a coincidence. I've been vegetarian for about 5 years and off and on vegan in that time, but find that when I go vegan, I'm usually a 'junk food vegan' instead of a whole foods, plant-based vegan! That said, I'm skeptical about some of the claims of the book, but think it definitely couldn't hurt to add more whole food plants into my diet. I noticed that there is also an app, called Daily Dozen, that lets you track the daily dozen foods Dr. Greger recommends, as well as track what he covers in "How Not to Diet" (which I haven't read yet, so I turned that part off).

Dr. Greger was recently in town to do a presentation, but I missed it. However, he'll be back in town for VegFest 2020, on May 17! https://vegmichigan.org/event/vegfest-2020/

Mike Stack

I find the title of this book very interesting. I certainly haven't read the book, but I will say that sensationalized titles like that from "doctors" always turn me off (I use quotes b/c a part of me believes that a true professional aims to be objective always). It lends itself to the implicit (maybe even explicit) claim that if you eat this way you won't die. That might not be his direct implication of the title, but it certainly plays on our subconscious desires of immortality. With that said, as a scientist, who values objective fact and strong evidence I would struggle to pick up a book like this and read it. @Alyssa Yavorenko you bring up a great point that it can't hurt to eat more whole, plant-based, foods and I completely agree with this. The research community as a whole, however, has still not determined if eating exclusively plant-based is best for health and longevity. I think books like this can be polarizing and cause a lot of tribalism in nutrition circles, and overall I feel that's not good. That's just my commentary on what I can glean from the title of the book and a quick online read of a summary (so by no means an "informed" opinion). Like many of the popular books and documentaries out there nowadays I think you have to read everything with a very skeptical perspective, asking yourself what is the agenda this person has when they're writing this AND what basis of evidence is being used to make/support their claims. Reader should always be ware. Happy reading @Tricia Nault, keep us posted on what you think of this book.

Bella Diaz

Hello all- I wold agree with @Mike Stack that books written by "doctors" can unfortunately be extremely biased, one-sided, or influenced by (big surprise) money or a personal agenda. So reading with caution & an open, curious mind is helpful. With that being said, I think there is no denying that incorporating plant-based foods has been proven to significantly improve health and risk for disease. Just like any other "diet" or way of eating, I do not think having an "all or nothing" or "black and white" perspective is beneficial. By that I mean, incorporate plant-based foods (whole or otherwise) but please know that you are reaping the benefits even if this is not ALL you eat. The additional fiber, polyphenols, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants we get from plant-based foods are still beneficial for our health if we choose to also include animal-based foods. Of course this is a personal decision based on health goals, personal beliefs and values.

@Alyssa Yavorenko I am so glad you shared that for you, choosing to eat a vegetarian diet vs. a vegan diet allowed for you to incorporate more whole, nutrient-dense foods which you have shared with me in our coaching sessions, help you to feel better overall. Finding what is best for our body & lifestyle based on our values is what it is all about :)

@Tricia Nault if you have any specific questions or wanna chat more on this- let me know! Good for you for educating yourself on this more. Just remember to always remain skeptical and meet with a nutrition professional who you know has your best interest at heart.

Alyssa Yavorenko

@Bella Diaz , @Mike Stack The title of the book is very sensationalized, but reading it is actually really dry. It's a lot of... 'eating x leads to increased risk of disease y, while eating z leads to decreased risk of disease y,' and it just so happens that "z" is a fruit or a vegetable. The anti/increased risk pieces (the "x"s) seem quite cherry-picked, and though I've seen the book marketed as a whole foods plant based diet book, he doesn't implicate diary or eggs that often, and sometimes his points seem to imply that dairy or eggs are healthy rather than harmful. I feel like you could easily claim this book fits the DASH or Mediterranean diets, too, based on the studies and information he pulls. There's just a lot less mention of olive oil. :)

I am having a hard time getting through the book just because it's so repetitive and dry. The results feel "Game Changers"y (not said particularly positively for Game Changers, which I think is super biased), but the sensationalism isn't really in there. The only hook is the title, haha. I would be interested in seeing a detailed refutation of his points; I have a hunch he's cherry picking evidence, but I haven't looked for someone refuting it point by point. That would be neat! I'm all for scientific debate.

I DO, however, like the app or would like something like it. It's a simple check list of 'servings of beans, berries, other fruits, vegetables, etc.' that are very nutritious foods that everyone could probably use a little more of. The app is a little too specific to the point of being annoying (Do I really need a berry and some other kind of fruit, or can I have two berry servings? etc.) but is in general a nice reminder that beans are good for you.

I still go back and forth on the vegan vs vegetarian thing, mostly out of ethics (am an ethical vegetarian). Nutrition-wise, I feel like veganism has going for it that it's harder to find junk food, but macro-wise it isn't as easy to find what I need. Vegan yogurt, for example, stinks in terms of macros and sugar content, and definitely doesn't replace a nice greek yogurt.

Mike Stack

@Alyssa Yavorenko, thanks for adding some clarification to the book. If it's a dry science-y book it actually might be something I would enjoy reading. I guess I'm a little of a nerd like that sometimes. Thanks again for sharing!!