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One-Sentence Summary
How Not to Die is a deeply researched and compelling primer on the promise and importance of whole food plant-based nutrition in preventing and reversing disease - by medical doctor and nutrition expert, Michael Greger. (576 pages)
Note: This How Not to Die summary is part of an ongoing project to summarise the Best Health Books and Best Self Help Books of all time.
How Not to Die Review
I really wanted to give you a detailed book summary of Michael Greger’s How Not To Die but, to be honest, you can condense the main points in three bullets:
- Nutrition accounts for ~85% of the factors in the US’s top causes of death; but
- The current US health/drug system actually disincentivizes proper education around nutrition for both doctors and consumers; so
- You’re on your own – but the short answer to better health is to switch to a whole (un or minimally processed) food plant-based diet.
Now, don’t get me wrong. This book is insanely good.
It’s deeply researched (despite some accusations of cherrypicking). It’s powerfully written. It’s surprising and informative and entertaining. In fact, I’d decided to go mostly meat-free again by the time I was halfway through the introduction.
But given that I don’t (yet) suffer from (or have a major family history of)…
[row style=”collapse”][col span=”6″]
- Heart disease;
- Lung disease;
- Brain disease;
- Digestive cancers;
- Infections;
- Diabetes;
- High Blood Pressure;
[/col][col span=”6″]
- Liver Diseases;
- Blood Cancers;
- Kidney Diseases;
- Breast Cancer;
- Suicidal Depression;
- Prostate Cancer; or
- Parkinson’s Disease.
[/col][/row]
…whose detailed treatment makes up ~60% of the main content of the book, I had very little incentive to dive deeply into the enormous amount of detail in those chapters.
(Note: The links above go to the main topic pages for each condition on Michael’s excellent non-profit NutritionFacts.org BUT if you suffer from one of those conditions – and even if you don’t – I can STRONGLY recommend buying your own copy of this awesome book.)
Which left me with an important question that I’d struggled to answer properly the last time I gave up animal-based eating.
Namely…
So, What Should I Be Eating Instead?
Now if there are two things I can’t fault Michael on, they’re:
- His focus on his overall message: “Thous shalt eat whole plant-based foods.”; and
- The insane levels of detail he uses to back up and colour his recommendations.
But the big problem I had with this book is I couldn’t find any practical middle ground.
As a newbie to nutrition, I felt frustrated that there was no single, mid-level cheatsheet. There was nothing I could refer to for an idea of which whole plant-based foods mattered most so I knew exactly what to eat more of each day.
So, because I’m stubborn, and because I’m lazy, and because I love spreadsheets, I decided to botch together a quick and simple solution for myself.
I created…
My Highly Unscientific Analysis…
The simplistic logic behind my analysis is this…
- If Michael Greger says a food is worth eating, I’ll take his word for it; and
- The more often he mentions that food in his book, the more important it probably is.
Is it a perfect solution? Not at all. Coffee is a stand out example of a foodstuff that gets lots of mentions where not all of those mentions are good.
But it’s at least given me some kind of mid-level snapshot of what to look out for next time I’m out for a food shop or next time I’m eating in a restaurant.
So, here’s to using other people data in ways they would probably never approve of.
I hope you enjoy it. I hope you find it as useful as I am.
And without further ado, here’s my…
How Not to Die Summary
I’ve broken this summary down into 14 sections (A “Top 10” section PLUS a breakdown of “Dr. Greger’s Daily Dozen” from Part 2 of the book PLUS the “Supplements” appendix).
Here’s the overall structure with the recommended daily servings for and the top 3 mentioned foods from each category.
- Overall Top 10 // 🏅 Water 🥈 Turmeric 🥉 Broccoli;
- Beans // 3 servings // 🏅 Lentils 🥈 Miso 🥉 Chickpeas;
- Berries // 3 servings // 🏅 Cranberries 🥈 Strawberries 🥉 Blueberries;
- Other Fruits // 3 servings // 🏅 Apples 🥈 Dates 🥉 Oranges;
- Cruciferous Vegetables // 1 serving // 🏅 Broccoli 🥈 Kale 🥉 Cabbage;
- Greens // 2 servings // 🏅 Kale 🥈 Spinach 🥉 Arugula (Rocket);
- Other Vegetables // 2 servings // 🏅 Mushrooms 🥈 Tomatoes 🥉 Peppers;
- Flaxseeds // 1 serving // 🏅 Flaxseeds;
- Nuts & Seeds // 1 serving // 🏅 Walnuts 🥈 Almonds 🥉 Pistachios;
- Herbs & Spices // n/a servings // 🏅 Turmeric 🥈 Ginger 🥉 Pepper;
- Whole Grains // 3 servings // 🏅 Oats/Oatmeal 🥈 Pasta 🥉 Brown Rice; and
- Beverages // 3 servings // 🏅 Water 🥈 Coffee 🥉 Green Tea.
Plus (two bonus sections):
- Exercises; and
- Supplements.
Read through in order, or click one of the headings below to skip ahead to that section of the analysis. But whichever you choose, let’s dive in…
1. Overall Top 10 Foods
- 🏅 Water (Beverages) // 184 Mentions
- 🥈 Turmeric (Herbs & Spices) // 124 Mentions
- 🥉 Broccoli (Cruciferous Vegetables) // 121 Mentions
- Coffee (Beverages) // 115 Mentions
- Apples (Other Fruits) // 108 Mentions
- Flaxseeds (Flaxseeds) // 89 Mentions
- Mushrooms (Other Vegetables) // 76 Mentions
- Kale (Cruciferous Vegetables) // 68 Mentions
- Oats/Oatmeal (Whole Grains) // 60 Mentions
- Tomatoes (Other Vegetables) // 56 Mentions
2. What Beans Should I Eat?
Recommended dose: 3 servings per day.
- 🏅 Lentils (Beluga, French And Red Varieties) // 44 mentions
- 🥈 Miso // 28 mentions
- 🥉 Chickpeas // 17 mentions
- Tempeh // 14 mentions
- Black Beans // 13 mentions
- Split Peas (Yellow Or Green) // 13 mentions
- Pinto Beans // 6 mentions
- Edamame // 4 mentions
- Cannellini Beans // 2 mentions
- English Peas // 2 mentions
- Great Northern Beans // 2 mentions
- Kidney Beans // 2 mentions
- Navy Beans // 2 mentions
- Black-Eyed Peas // 1 mention
- Butter Beans // 1 mention
- Small Red Beans // 1 mention
3. What Berries Should I Eat?
Recommended dose: 3 servings per day.
- 🏅 Cranberries // 42 mentions
- 🥈 Strawberries // 38 mentions
- 🥉 Blueberries // 33 mentions
- Cherries (Sweet Or Tart) // 29 mentions
- Raspberries (Black Or Red) // 15 mentions
- Blackberries // 14 mentions
- Açai Berries // 11 mentions
- Goji Berries // 9 mentions
- Barberries // 4 mentions
- Mulberries // 4 mentions
- Concord Grapes // 3 mentions
- Kumquats // 3 mentions
4. What Other Fruits Should I Eat?
Recommended dose: 3 servings per day.
- 🏅 Apples // 108 mentions
- 🥈 Dates // 40 mentions
- 🥉 Oranges // 35 mentions
- Bananas // 26 mentions
- Lemons // 26 mentions
- Watermelon // 18 mentions
- Kiwifruit // 16 mentions
- Mangos // 15 mentions
- Grapefruit // 14 mentions
- Avocados // 12 mentions
- Pomegranates // 9 mentions
- Plums (Especially Black Plums) // 7 mentions
- Dried Figs // 5 mentions
- Pears // 5 mentions
- Peaches // 4 mentions
- Prunes // 4 mentions
- Limes // 3 mentions
- Pineapple // 3 mentions
- Lychees // 2 mentions
- Tangerines // 2 mentions
- Dried Apricots // 1 mentions
- Cantaloupe // 1 mentions
- Clementines // 1 mentions
- Honeydew // 1 mentions
- Nectarines // 1 mentions
- Papaya // 1 mentions
- Passion Fruit // 1 mentions
- Pluots // 1 mentions
5. What Cruciferous Vegetables Should I Eat?
Recommended dose: 1 serving per day.
- 🏅 Broccoli // 121 mentions
- 🥈 Kale (Black, Green And Red) // 68 mentions
- 🥉 Cabbage // 42 mentions
- Cauliflower // 21 mentions
- Brussels Sprouts // 14 mentions
- Horseradish // 10 mentions
- Arugula (Rocket) // 9 mentions
- Collard Greens // 9 mentions
- Radishes // 8 mentions
- Bok Choy // 7 mentions
- Mustard Greens // 7 mentions
- Watercress // 6 mentions
- Turnip Greens // 3 mentions
6. What Greens Should I Eat?
Recommended dose: 2 servings per day.
- 🏅 Kale (Black, Green And Red) // 68 mentions
- 🥈 Spinach // 28 mentions
- 🥉 Arugula (Rocket) // 9 mentions
- Collard Greens // 9 mentions
- Mustard Greens // 7 mentions
- Turnip Greens // 3 mentions
- Beetroot Greens // 2 mentions
- Mesclun Mix (Assorted Young Salad Greens) // 2 mentions
- Sorrel // 2 mentions
- Swiss Chard // 2 mentions
7. What Other Vegetables Should I Eat?
Recommended dose: 2 servings per day.
- 🏅 Mushrooms (Button, Oyster, Portobello And Shiitake) // 76 mentions
- 🥈 Tomatoes // 56 mentions
- 🥉 Peppers // 53 mentions
- Beetroot // 43 mentions
- Garlic // 38 mentions
- Onions // 38 mentions
- Sweet Potatoes/Yams // 29 mentions
- Carrots // 19 mentions
- Pumpkin // 16 mentions
- Sea Vegetables (Arame, Dulse And Nori) // 12 mentions
- Asparagus // 8 mentions
- Squash (Delicata, Summer And Spaghetti Squash Varieties) // 8 mentions
- Sweetcorn // 7 mentions
- Purple Potatoes // 5 mentions
- Artichokes // 2 mentions
- Okra // 2 mentions
- Snap Peas // 2 mentions
- Zucchini (Courgette) // 2 mentions
8. What Flaxseeds Should I Eat?
Trick question. Flaxseeds are flaxseeds, although they get 89 mentions!
Recommended dose: 1 serving per day.
9. Nuts & Seeds Should I Eat?
Recommended dose: 1 serving per day.
- 🏅 Walnuts // 23 mentions
- 🥈 Almonds // 19 mentions
- 🥉 Pistachios // 13 mentions
- Brazil Nuts // 11 mentions
- Chia Seeds // 6 mentions
- Sesame Seeds // 5 mentions
- Cashews // 4 mentions
- Pumpkin Seeds // 4 mentions
- Hazelnuts/Filberts // 2 mentions
- Hemp Seeds // 1 mentions
- Macadamia Nuts // 1 mentions
- Pecans // 1 mentions
- Sunflower Seeds // 1 mentions
10. What Herbs & Spices Should I Eat?
Recommended dose: n/a servings per day.
- 🏅 Turmeric // 124 mentions
- 🥈 Ginger // 54 mentions
- 🥉 Pepper // 53 mentions
- Garlic // 38 mentions
- Cinnamon // 37 mentions
- Saffron // 28 mentions
- Coriander // 23 mentions
- Nutmeg // 17 mentions
- Peppermint // 16 mentions
- Oregano // 15 mentions
- Fenugreek // 13 mentions
- Cloves // 11 mentions
- Horseradish // 10 mentions
- Marjoram // 8 mentions
- Basil // 7 mentions
- Cardamom // 7 mentions
- Smoked Paprika // 6 mentions
- Curry Powder // 5 mentions
- Mustard Powder // 5 mentions
- Rosemary // 5 mentions
- Barberries // 4 mentions
- Chilli Powder // 4 mentions
- Cumin // 4 mentions
- Parsley // 4 mentions
- Bay Leaves // 3 mentions
- Thyme // 3 mentions
- Vanilla // 3 mentions
- Sage // 2 mentions
- Allspice // 1 mentions
- Dill // 1 mentions
- Lemongrass // 1 mentions
11. What Whole Grains Should I Eat?
Recommended dose: 3 servings per day.
- 🏅 Oats/Oatmeal // 60 mentions
- 🥈 Pasta (Whole Grain/Wheat) // 27 mentions
- 🥉 Brown Rice // 17 mentions
- Popcorn // 14 mentions
- Quinoa // 9 mentions
- Barley // 7 mentions
- Buckwheat // 3 mentions
- Millet // 3 mentions
- Rye // 3 mentions
- Teff // 3 mentions
- Wild Rice // 2 mentions
12. What Beverages Should I Drink?
Recommended dose: 5 servings per day.
- 🏅 Water // 184 mentions
- 🥈 Coffee // 115 mentions
- 🥉 Green Tea // 48 mentions
- Hibiscus Tea // 18 mentions
- White Tea // 15 mentions
- Black Tea // 8 mentions
- Lemon Balm Tea // 3 mentions
- Matcha Tea // 3 mentions
- Chai Tea // 2 mentions
- Vanilla Chamomile Tea // 1 mentions
- Earl Grey Tea // 1 mentions
- Hot Chocolate // 1 mentions
- Jasmine Tea // 1 mentions
- Almond Blossom Oolong Tea // 1 mentions
- Peppermint Tea // 1 mentions
- Rooibos Tea // 1 mentions
13.What Exercises Should I Do?
[row style=”collapse”][col span=”6″]
Moderate Exercises.
Recommended dose: 90 minutes per day:
- Bicycling
- Canoeing
- Dancing
- Dodgeball
- Downhill Skiing
- Fencing
- Gardening
- Hiking
- Housework
- Ice-Skating
- In-Line Skating
- Juggling
- Jumping On A Trampoline
- Paddle Boating
- Playing Frisbee
- Roller-Skating
- Shooting Baskets
- Shovelling Light Snow
- Skateboarding
- Snorkelling
- Surfing
- Swimming Recreationally
- Tennis (Doubles)
- Treading Water
- Walking Briskly (4 Mph)
- Water Aerobics
- Waterskiing
- Yoga
[/col][col span=”6″]
Intense Exercises.
Recommended dose: 45 minutes per day:
- Backpacking
- Basketball
- Bicycling Uphill
- Circuit Weight Training
- Cross-Country Skiing
- Football
- Hockey
- Jogging
- Jumping Jacks
- Lacrosse
- Push-Ups And Pull-Ups
- Racquetball
- Rock Climbing
- Rugby
- Running
- Scuba Diving
- Tennis (Singles)
[/col][/row]
14. What Supplements Should I Take?
A whole-food plant-based diet will provide an ample supply of most vitamins and minerals.
But if you’re off-meat completely (or living somewhere dark) you might consider taking:
- Vitamin B12 // 2,500 mcg (μg) at least once per week
- Vitamin D // 2,000 IU per day (or ~15 mins a day of mid-day equivalent sun)
- Iodine // 150 mcg (μg) per day (or 2 x sheets of nori seaweed)
- Long-Chain Omega-3s // 250mg per day (yeast or algae-derived)
Just to keep things topped up.
How Not to Die Contents
How Not to Die has 19 main chapters and an appendix split out over two parts…
PART 1: How Not to Die from…
- How Not to Die from Heart Disease
- How Not to Die from Lung Diseases
- How Not to Die from Brain Diseases
- How Not to Die from Digestive Cancers
- How Not to Die from Infections
- How Not to Die from Diabetes
- How Not to Die from High Blood Pressure
- How Not to Die from Liver Diseases
- How Not to Die from Blood Cancers
- How Not to Die from Kidney Disease
- How Not to Die from Breast Cancer
- How Not to Die from Suicidal Depression
- How Not to Die from Prostate Cancer
- How Not to Die from Parkinson’s Disease
- How Not to Die from Iatrogenic Causes
PART 2: Eat These Instead…
- Introduction
- Dr. Greger’s Daily Dozen
- Conclusion
Appendix: Supplements
Best How Not to Die Quotes
These How Not to Die quotes come from The Art of Living's ever-growing central library of thoughts, anecdotes, notes, and inspirational quotes.
"The primary reason diseases tend to run in families may be that diets tend to run in families."
- Michael Greger, How Not to DieHow Not to Die PDF Summary
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