56 philippine tatler. august 2018
nothing more she could do. Wheelchair bound,
crushing chest pain... and then she heard about
Nathan Pritikin’s plan [a live-in programme
involving a controlled diet, counselling in
lifestyle change, and exercise in a resort-type
setting]. They wheeled her in—and she walked
out. I’ll never forget that. She was given her
medical death sentence when she was 65, and
thanks to a healthy diet she was able to enjoy
another 31 years on this earth until age 96.”
Greger, who has published a number of
papers on the negative
effects of meat and dairy
products, points out that
the medical literature
“suggests our genes may
only be responsible for
about 20 per cent of
common chronic diseases.
The other 80 per cent is
how we live and particularly
how we eat. Diet is the
number one contributor
to chronic disease, and
therefore if we are part of
a family that eats a whole
foods, plant-based diet, our
relatives will likely have
low rates of these chronic
diseases. On the other hand,
if we are part of a family
where meat, dairy, eggs,
and junk are part of most meals, there may
be higher rates of chronic disease in our
family—not because of genes, but because
habits tend to run in families. Genetics may
load the gun, but lifestyle pulls the trigger.”
Full of surprising, cutting-edge nutritional
science and practical advice that’s easy to put
into action, Greger’s tome of doctor’s orders
is just what we need to live longer, healthier
lives. All proceeds from the book’s sales go
to maintaining NutritionFacts.org and its
free advice.
How Not To Die expresses Greger’s views in
clear terms. The first half tells readers “how
not to die” using scientific evidence to link
diet and certain diseases. The second half
is a treasure trove of suggestions, concretehen Michael Greger shot to
number six on the New York
Times Best Seller list in 2015
withHow Not To Die, a book
singing the praises of whole foods
and plant-based eating, veganism was still a long
way from being embraced by the mainstream.
The science-based website he founded in 2011
to provide free advice on meat-free sustenance,
NutritionFacts.org, was also little known.
Today, however, plant-based eating is
increasingly being hailed
as the next big food
movement, with Greger’s
book, subtitled Discover the
Foods Scientifi cally Proven to
Prevent and Reverse Disease,
and his website lauded as
bibles by seasoned and
aspiring vegans alike. The
American doctor—a clinical
nutrition specialist—has
become a guru of sorts and
one of the most outspoken
fi gures advocating for plant-
based living and against
animal-based food.
“We are at a pivotal
moment in the healthy living
movement, due in large
part to social media,” he
explains. “I think it is the democratisation
of knowledge via the internet that is most
responsible for this change. It used to be that
only a few people had access to the medical
literature, and if you didn’t have access to those
people, you might never know what the science
said. In 2018, that’s not the case. Any of us can
use the internet to track down the best science.”
A long-time vegan, Greger became interested
as a child in exploring the power of plants
through medicine, inspired by his grandmother’s
experience. “I think the spark for many kids to
want to become a doctor when they grow up is
watching a grandparent get sick or even die,”
he said. “But for me, it was my grandma getting
better. When I was still a child, she had already
had a couple of open-heart operations, and
they basically ran out of plumbing. There wasLIFE | )662
IMAGES: COURTESY OF MICHAEL GREGER; SHUTTERSTOCKA passionate advocate of vegetarianism, bestselling author
Michael Greger tells Marianna Cerini how what we eat
infl uences life—and death
SEEDS OF LIFE