Month: April 2021

Book Review: How Not To Die

How Not to Die, authored by Dr. Michael Greger, also known for the website NutritionFacts.org is one of the best science based books detailing how a plant based diet can improve one’s health and combat diseases.  There are over 100 pages of sources cited (and none of them is Fox News or CNN or….).

It is a very well written book that you must get a hold of!  There is too much good information to summarize, so get a copy.  This is one of those books you will keep after reading.

There are 2 parts to the book. 

Part 1 details how specific disorders or diseases, ranging from heart and lung diseases, to various cancers, to suicidal depression and Parkinson can be helped or prevented by diet.    You might read a given chapter if you have a specific disease or concern.  Each chapter covers a disease and is only 10-20 pages long.  His writing is to the point and is easy to understand.

Part 2 is a review of Dr. Greger’s “Daily Dozen”, 12 things you need for longevity.   If you don’t have a specific disease concern, just start here.  You will need to read the 140 pages, but here are the dozen foods:

Beans, 3x per day

Berries, once per day

Other Fruits, 3x

Cruciferous Vegetables, once

Greens, 2x

Other Vegetables, 2x

Flaxseeds, once (seeds need to be ground to be absorbed)

Nuts, once (Walnuts seem to be the best)

Spices, once (Lots of options here, so read up.  Turmeric, cinnamon, cloves…)

Whole Grains, 3x (includes info for those who want gluten free)

This is where the 5:1 ratio of carbs to fiber comes in.  You want 5, or less, grams of carbs for every gram of fiber.  This eliminates a lot of options.

Beverages, 5x.  Water, coffee, tea.  The only good sweeteners are black-strap molasses and date sugar.  Sugar can interfere with a number of nutrients, so minimize added sugars.

Exercise, once (yes, you need to work out a little)

There is also an appendix covering supplements.  Basically, 2500mcg of B12 once a week and 250mg of long chain omega-3s.  Everything else can be obtained in a plant based diet.

The book is well written and is easy to read.  It advocates moving towards a healthier diet, rather than is a hard-core prescription of “musts” or “must-nots”.  There is a companion cookbook, if you want recipes that follow the book.  Once you’ve read the book, I’m betting you’ll want to check out https://nutritionfacts.org.

Note: If you click on a link to an affiliate site, such as the one above, we may receive a commission from that site.

How Your Microbiome May Help Fight Viruses

National Geographic just published an article regarding the study of how our microbiome may help fight viruses, even Covid-19, National_Geographic. “Some preliminary studies have shown unusual microbiomes in hospitalized Covid-19 patients”.


The article mentions that there are 3 possible mechanisms where the microbiome may help combat a virus:


1) The lining of one’s stomach and intestines prevents viruses from getting to organs other than the stomach and lungs. In other words, “leaky gut” may allow access to other organs. The virus has been detected in “the liver, kidney, heart, and brain”.
2) The microbiome could also produce chemicals that interfere with the viral life cycle.
3) The microbiome supports one’s immune system.


The article goes on to discuss some ideas on possible treatments based on these theories, but emphasizes that there has not been enough studies prove the impact of the microbiome on viruses.


The only advice, for now, is to support your microbiome through diet (and even exercise) to give yourself the best possible chances for good health. Look out for more developments in this area over the next few years.