How Not to Die: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease
by Michael Greger
Pages
Rating
Genre
576
5 / 5
Non-fiction, health
Absolutely excellent. I read this on Kindle and highlighted it everywhere. I don’t like to buy books because they take up a lot of room. My preference is to own a few physical books. This one is worth buying in hardback and keeping. Very clear easy to follow advice on what to eat and how much of it. Also, like how Dr. Greger included information on exercise and how much. Everything is backed up with studies and not those paid my big dairy, or others with agendas. Great to keep for reference and re-read often to remind me about what I should be incorporating into my diet more.
People who once ate vegetarian diets but then started to eat meat at least once a week experienced a 146 percent increase in odds of heart disease, 152 percent increase in stroke a 166 percent increase in diabetes, and a 231 percent increase in odds for weight gain.
Dr. Michael Greger
Dr. Greger speaks on the lack of nutrition found in many of the items that we have been taught are good for us. Lean meat, eggs, dairy, etc.
I think everyone should read this book! It may just be my favorite book of 2020.
Grain Brain: The Surprising Truth about Wheat, Carbs, and Sugar–Your Brain’s Silent Killers by David Perlmutter
Grain Brain by David Perlmutter is my second audiobook of the year. As you can imagine this was somewhat similar to the last audiobook I listened to. Both books are focusing on wheat and what repercussions it has for those of us who love it and continue to consume it.
Dr. Perlmutter focuses on the impact of wheat on the brain. Listening to these books at the gym is very purposeful and really makes me push that much harder. It focuses me on getting healthier. And the next time I am presented with an option to eat bread it makes me reflect before taking that choice. Joe Cross, of Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead fame, is famous for saying:
You control the last few inches to your mouth
I’m paraphrasing, but you get it. We are completely in control of what we are putting in our mouth. No one is holding a gun to our head and telling us we have to eat eggplant or Doritos. That choice is ours. We may be tempted with certain foods, but the ‘last mile’ is all up to us. We control that and there are no excuses for what we are choosing to put in our mouths.
The other side of the story. While doing some research for this post I ran across an article by Alex Ruani reviewing the book and warning people not to take everything in the book as literal truth.
I agree that Dr. Perlmutter left some things out of the book. He encourages drinking red wine, but also says that it is easier to get your Restoril from a supplement. He doesn’t warn the reader that too much alcohol consumption can be bad for your brain and body.
While I agree with Alex, that you need to practice some common sense and not take everything from any non-fiction book as the truth. Do some research and use some good common sense.
As a whole, the book is entertaining and educational. There is much you can take away from this book and I would recommend it without reservation. 3 stars for this education non-fiction best-seller.
My first audiobook of 2018. And I read/listened to this book mostly while at the gym! What a great way to get through your TBR! In Wheat Belly Dr. Davis convinces us all that wheat is not what it used to be and the new altered commercially created wheat is not good for a waistband. I enjoyed reading this book. I have been very focused on my fitness lately. I’ve gone vegetarian, since September of last year. I tried vegan, but I missed breakfast with eggs. So I compromised and I am eating egg whites.
Dr. Davis succeeded in convincing me that I need to reduce the amount of wheat that I am eating. I have eaten far too much. He argues that in fact, it can be addictive. This I very much agree with. I find myself craving a muffin, English muffin or just a slice of bread. Even a peanut butter and jelly sandwich would be very nice. Bread is “ingrained” in us! It is in every meal we have.
My family loves eggs in a basket, many people love to have a bagel or just some toast. Lunch is often a sandwich or a burger with a big fat yummy bun! Dinner always comes with a dinner roll. Its everywhere!
This book and Grain Brain have taught me about the glycemic index and many other ways that wheat negatively impacts our health. Grain Brains extends what I learned in Wheat Belly and speaks about how wheat negatively impacts our cognitive ability.
I liked Wheat Belly and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about eating healthy and being healthy. It is a great listen.
