Earlier this month, I had to pleasure to hear Dr. Michael Greger speak at the Charlotte County Veg Fest in Punta Gorda, FL. The event was held on a Monday in order to accommodate Dr. Greger's schedule, yet several hundred people were in attendance.

Here are my "take-away" notes from his presentation.

• The body is a self-healing machine. When you hit your shin on the coffee table, it becomes inflamed and starts to heal. UNLESS you keep hitting your shin on the coffee table three times a day (in other words, eating the wrong foods for breakfast, lunch, and dinner).
• Many who've suffered with diabetes for over 20 years and are taking shots can be off meds in just 16 days - even if they don't lose weight.
• Smoking in the 1950's is similar to the Standard American Diet industry today. (NOTE: he did a long comparison on this topic; doctors then were smokers, and the majority of doctors today are eating poorly, which is one reason they don't promote diet change).
• Society has to catch up to science. It takes a while, as with smoking.
• There are 14 million deaths a year due to processed food alone. (compare that to Corona virus!)

Questions from the audience:

1. Is it OK to blend greens in a smoothie, or will we lose all the nutrition? Dr. Greger replied that we actually have BETTER absorption by blending, but the trick is to SIP your smoothie very slowly through a slender straw for best absorption. Don't gulp it down.
2. How much exercise do you recommend? 90 minutes of moderate exercise every day.
3. What about prebiotics? Good for gut bacteria, the brain, and immune system. A recipe to have "happy bugs" is made of black lentils, oat groats, rye berries, sorghum, millet, and other items prepared in the pressure cooker. (I believe he said the recipe is in his new book, How Not to Diet).
4. What is Dr. Greger's favorite food: Pawpaw fruit.
5. What about vitamin B12? Always purchase a USP Certified brand such as Nature Made. Take 1000 mcg of the Cyano type each day. (Cyd's note: That's higher than he recommends in "How Not to Die." There are many differing opinions on the topic of B12; read more here.)
6. What do you suggest for high triglycerides? De-flour your diet, except for pasta. (Cyd's note: I'm assuming he was referring to whole grain pasta, not the white/enriched flour varieties which spike blood sugar).

Why not add the award-winning book, The "Plan A" Diet to your collection as well? I'd love to help you get started with the healthiest diet on the planet. 🙂