How Not to Die – And Reviving Passion

When I first started reading How Not to Die, by Dr. Michael Greger (who created NutritionFacts.org), it re-ignited a passion inside of me that had gone dull for a while. That might have been a part of why my last update to this blog was quite some time ago! Somewhere along the way, I lost sight of what I wanted this blog to be about and then couldn't decide what direction to take it. I mean, I knew I wanted it to be about fitness and nutrition, but both of those are such vague topics, and I couldn't pinpoint a specific area.

Within the first chapter or so of How Not to Die, I found myself feeling more and more that I wanted to promote his work and way of life (which I was already fond of through NutritionFacts.org prior to the book). In short, it's all about how a whole-food, plant-based diet can prevent or even reverse many of the chronic diseases that plague society today.

(Please rest assured that I have received no compensation or any other kind of incentive from Dr. Greger or NutritionFacts.org in discussing his work here. I really am just that passionate about it. And P.S., if you buy the book via the above links, you will be helping to support this site!)

The more I read the book, the more convinced I was that I needed - as a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist - to work harder to help people adopt not just a healthier diet, but specifically one that includes more foods that come from plants and fewer foods that come from animals.

This isn't to say that I (or even Dr. Greger for that matter) am pushing for everyone to become vegan. That is unrealistic and not practical. But we would like to see people become healthier and decrease their risks for heart disease, some cancers, diabetes, stroke, Alzheimer's, and other deadly chronic diseases by eating more fruits and vegetables. And the more, the better. That's all.

I strongly encourage anyone looking to improve their health and decrease their risk for deadly diseases to read How Not to Die. I promise you it is not boring (there are many moments that are quite humorous and compelling - in my opinion, at least!) and you will find it fascinating.

And this past summer, I even got to meet Dr. Greger at the IDEA World Convention/Nutrition & Behavior Change Summit in Las Vegas! No joke, I felt like I was meeting a rock star or famous actor! And he was unbelievably nice and gracious!

My hope now is that future blog posts will be focused on new nutrition research coming out that shows how powerful plant foods can me, dispelling nutrition myths that I frequently come across, as well as continuing with featuring some awesome restaurants that I go to, and maybe some more recipes!

Or if you have any specific topics you'd like me to cover, you can suggest some in the comments below!