How Not to Die by Michael Greger & Gene Stone Summary
Overview of How Not to Die
Discover why the Dalai Lama endorses this New York Times bestseller that reveals how simple dietary choices prevent disease. Dr. Greger's "Daily Dozen" checklist has revolutionized plant-based nutrition. Can food really save your life? His grandmother's heart disease reversal suggests yes.
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When Death Knocked at the Door, a Wheelchair Became a Symbol of Hope
A sixty-five-year-old woman sits in a wheelchair, sent home to die from end-stage heart disease. Her doctors have given up. Then she sees a television program about plant-based nutrition and decides to try one last thing. Weeks later, she walks out of Nathan Pritikin's center on her own two feet. She lives another thirty-one vibrant years. That woman was Dr. Michael Greger's grandmother, and her story sparked a medical revolution hidden in plain sight-the science showing that what we eat determines whether we live or die. Here's the uncomfortable truth: the standard American diet scores about one out of ten for health, with only 11 percent of calories coming from whole plant foods. We're literally eating ourselves to death, one meal at a time. Yet four simple habits-not smoking, maintaining healthy weight, thirty minutes of daily exercise, and eating better-can slash diabetes risk by 90 percent, heart attacks by 80 percent, and strokes by 50 percent. The CDC found that people following just three basic behaviors reduced their mortality risk by 82 percent over six years, essentially becoming fourteen years younger biologically. The most remarkable discovery? A whole-food, plant-based diet doesn't just prevent disease-it can reverse the fifteen leading causes of death in America.
Your Arteries Remember Everything You've Ever Eaten
The Forgotten Miracle: How Plants Protect Every Breath You Take
Your Brain on Plants: Preventing Stroke and Reversing Cognitive Decline
The Digestive Battlefield: Where Diet Meets Disease
The Diabetes Revolution: Reversing Disease Without Surgery or Starvation
Reclaiming Your Health, One Meal at a Time
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"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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