How Not To Die

How Not To Die delivers a template for extending your life based on scientific research which recommends switching to a mainly plant-based diet.

People are now living longer than they used to, but does that mean they live healthier? Not necessarily. In a study of 42,000 people 100 years and older autopsied after death, researches found the vast majority died with a chronic disease. So we may be living longer, but we are more likely to die of disease than of old age. The biggest culprit behind the increase of chronic disease over the years is diet.

The “Nutritional Update for Physicians” in 2013 said that a typical American diet full of dairy, meat, eggs, and processed foods puts people at increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and more. A study showed that when Japanese-Americans adopted a US diet, they had the same risk of having a heart attack at 40 as their counterparts in Japan did at age 60.

Some research even suggests that diet can be more effective than drugs. In one study, doctors put patients who had advanced heart disease on a diet that was plant-based, hoping to slow the progression of the disease. It didn’t just slow down, but it actually reversed, as plaque buildup in the arteries started to dissolve.

Okay so now that you understand the importance of having a healthy diet, let’s get down to the details of what to eat.

First, a healthy diet should consist of four servings of fruit, one of which should be berries. Fruit has been shown to improve lung function and decrease the risk of COPD. The antioxidants in fruit limit cell damage and reduce inflammation. Don’t worry about sugar; Greger says that the fiber and nutrients combat the effects of fructose. Berries have the highest amount of antioxidants and are especially important for their immune-boosting qualities and cancer-fighting abilities.

Eating vegetables is also vital. Whole veggies protect the telomeres on DNA, which keeps cells healthy as they age and divide. They aid liver and lung functioning and even cut your risk of certain cancers.

Greger recommends five servings of veggies a day. Two should be leafy greens and one should be a cruciferous veggie like broccoli or cauliflower. Cruciferous vegetables produce sulforaphane, which is an anti-inflammatory molecule with cancer-fighting properties. Dark leafy greens have the most nutrition per calorie of any food.

In addition to fruits and veggies, Greger teaches that other essential foods you should be including as much as possible in your diet are: whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, beans, and herbs.