How Not To Die: A Book Review

My recommended books are all linked to Amazon for your convenience. There, you can get more information, see a variety of reviews, and potentially purchase the book. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I only promote books I’m passionate about, and believe to be worthy of reading. Happy reading!

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Takeaway:

If there is one book you should buy this year, this is it. The book title is catchy, but it’s not about immortality, physically existing forever. It’s about taking charge of our lives, evaluating our lifestyle and diet, so we can LIVE healthier in body and mind. See more reviews here. There is also a How Not To Die Cookbook, and Dr. Greger’s new book is called “How Not To Diet.”

Highest Recommendation

The title —“How Not To Die” — is dramatic and catches your eye, and the book is very readable..  But the book is also full of good research and science. Obviously our bodies physically die. But when do you die, and why? Dr. Greger show us how we can protect ourselves from premature death. Nutrition and lifestyle changes can reduce the risk for cancer, diabetes, dementia, Parkinson’s, high blood pressure, and more. Read this book in full, or go study areas of your biggest concerns.

This book is a great investment in your  future—your health, energy, mind, and joy in general. Follow some of the advice given here, and you’ll find it’s also an investment that may save you money from extensive medical costs.

Be Proactive

Be proactive—study and decide to take action—and do it now. Don’t wait until you get sick. The book should be called “How to Live!” 

But be wise. There is no magic panacea out there, a little pill that solves all problems. We need to study what we eat, because what we eat often leads to illness. Dr. Greger shows us this trend very well in his book.

But we also need to sleep, exercise, control stress, develop a spiritual life, and have personal relationships. 

Dr. Gregor’s critics believe he’s “cherry picked” his research, choosing only research that backs up his theories. That’s probably true. And scientific data comes in daily, with conflicting results—coffee/no coffee, wine/no wine, some meat/no meat… My advice, read the book. Do the things that feel right to you. Keep studying, trying things you believe in, and then check out what happens experientially.

 I don’t believe—unless you are seriously and desperately ill—that you should fanatically follow one path. But while you have relatively good health, and want it to stay  that way, then you ought to be proactive and take positive steps you believe in … and you need to start now.

For me, a life-changing book

I believe this book has shown me positive steps I need to take now. For me, the book is a life changer. My particular focus is Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. My family has faced this challenge several times. I figured it must be genetic, and something I’ll have to face—end of story. I still believe there is a genetic component involved, and Dr. Gregor describes that component. 

But he also provides hope. We have some control. Dietary decisions can affect things such as high blood pressure and cholesterol, which substantially reduce the risk of dementia. The Mediterranean diet—high in vegetables, beans, fruit and nuts, and lower in meats and dairy products—are associated with slower cognitive decline and a lower risk of Alzheimers. Antioxidants in berries—blueberries, cranberries, and others — and dark-green leafy vegetables may protect the brain from “rusting” (see page 65 for more details). Spices such as turmeric might be helpful, though not yet proven; meanwhile, saffron is showing much promise. 

Dr. Greger focuses on plant-based food, but not myopically. He reports on studies that show aerobic exercising for 45-60 minutes, four times a week, didn’t simply stop the mental decline of most dementia patients, but improved their memory.

We need to keep up-to-date with all this research.

This book is a great place to begin.

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You may also be interested in:

How Not To Die Cookbook–Link provided here.

Or, How Not To Diet–Link provided here.

Book: How Not to Die: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse DiseaseAuthors: Michael Greger M.D. FACLM; Gene Stone. Publisher: Flatiron Books, 2015. Pages: 576.

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Scott is an author, blogger and coach--in all things he's an encourager. A Stephen Minister with a M.A. in Pastoral Counseling, Scott seeks to help others find more joy in life through brain, body, financial, community, and spiritual development. Our goal is to help reduce stress, depression, anxiety, and loss of focus. I want to empower and energize people seeking freedom from boredom, low motivation, low self-esteem, unnecessary anxiety or the shroud of sadness. Together, let’s maximize the joyful opportunities in life, and reach our potential. His latest books can be found at https://scottdouglasmartell.com

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