Internationally recognized physician, author and speaker Dr. Michael Greger will speak in Naples and Fort Myers this month (see details in box below). His simple, accessible, and evidence-based methods pre- serve the body functions that keep us feeling youthful, both physically and mentally. His expertise and actionable takeaways in How Not to Age: The Scientific Approach to Getting Healthier as You Get Older lay out practical strategies for achieving ultimate longevity.

You were trained as a conventional doctor. What inspired you to focus on nutrition?

It began with my grandma, Francis Gregor. I was a kid when the doctor sent her home in a wheelchair to die. She was diagnosed with end stage heart disease. Confined to a wheelchair, she had crushing chest pain. Her life was over at age 65 until she heard about Nathan Pritikin, one of our early lifestyle medicine pioneers.

They wheeled her into the Pritikin Longevity Center, now located in Miami, and she walked out. Thanks to a healthy diet, she was able to enjoy another 31 years, enjoying her six grandkids, including me. That's why I went into medicine and why I started the website, NutritionFacts.org. It’s also why I wrote How Not To Age.

What is your daily dozen?

My Daily Dozen is a checklist of the healthiest foods I recommend—a minimum of three servings of beans (legumes), one serving of berries, three servings of other fruits, one serving of cruciferous vegetables, two servings of greens, two servings of other veggies, one serving of flaxseeds, one serving of nuts and seeds, one serving of herbs and spices, three servings of whole grains, five servings of beverages, and one serving of exercise, 90 minutes at moderate intensity or 40 minutes of vigorous activity. [Greger’s Daily Dozen is available as a free app on iPhone or Android to track daily progress.]

Are you suggesting that people should eat a vegetarian diet?

We should try to eat primarily plants’ but not necessarily exclusively plants. The plant-based diet is more about maximizing the intake of the healthiest foods. As a physician, labels like vegetarian and vegan just tell me what you don't eat. It doesn't matter what you eat on your birthday, holiday or special occasions, but on a day-to-day basis you should try to center your diet around natural, unprocessed plant foods from the fields, not from factories.

What about eating fish?

Unfortunately, our oceans have essentially become human sewers and everything eventually flows into the sea. If we had a time machine and could go back before the industrial revolution that would be great, but now the aquatic food chain accumulates the highest levels of chemical pollutants like DDT and PCBs. In fact, in this country, hundreds of thousands of babies are born with brain damage every year because their mothers consumed mercury-contaminated fish.

A tuna sandwich is better than a bologna sandwich, but a hummus wrap would be even healthier. As the Harvard researchers found even a 3 percent swap from fish protein to plant protein is associated with 60 percent decreased risk of premature death.

What about salmon?

Ideally, we should eat smaller fish, lower down in the food chain.

Where do you get you the protein that do you eat?

Anyone who doesn't know how to get protein in a plant-based diet doesn’t know beans, the cornerstone of the Blue Zone diet. Legumes, beans, split peas, chickpeas and lentils have the protein, iron and zinc that we get from meat. They also have fiber, folate and potassium, without the saturated fats and cholesterol.

What is your opinion on protein drinks that are plant-based?

All our macronutrients, protein, carbohydrates and fats should come from whole plant food sources rather than powdered processed protein, which contain high amounts of sugar, stevia, agave or monk fruit. I’m not a big fan of protein supplements or protein drinks.

What can you tell us about How Not to Age?

My goal was to cover every possible strategy for slowing down the aging process for living the longest life based on the best available evidence. The good news is that we have tremendous power over our health. 

ANTI-AGING PRESENTATIONS:

UNITY OF NAPLES

January 6 at 6pm

239-231-5538

MichelleJoyKramer.com/tickets

Anti-Aging Presentation - Jan 06, 2024 at 06:00PM

Dr. Michael Greger gives a presentation based on his new book How Not to Age followed by a book signing. He’ll provide basic, highly accessible and evidence-based ways to preserve body fu... Read More » 

 

FSW STATE COLLEGE

January 7 at 12pm

LifestyleSolutionsHealthyPlanet.org/events

Learn More:

Anti-Aging Presentation in Naples and Fort Myers

Internationally renowned physician Dr. Michael Greger will lecture on the secrets for slowing down aging and avoiding chronic diseases according to the latest antiaging medical research. Read More »