I Ate Like Dr. Greger For 7 Days 

Thank you so much for watching! 🙏 I hope you enjoyed it! We've got a lot more vegan nutrition content coming soon, so please be sure to subscribe so you don't miss a future video! 💪🌱 Subscribing is the best way to support our team and our mission to help 1,000,000 vegans get into the best shape of their lives. Thank you! 😊 - Leif

I'm a registered dietitian nutritionist with a focus on eating for longevity. I am a big fan of Dr. Greger and create my own delicious recipes that are in line with his principles.

Dried mushrooms are VERY concentrated and are not intended to be eaten in their dry form. They are typically reconstituted in water and used sparingly in sauces, soups, risotto etc. Also can use the water they were soaking in to flavor foods. Maybe worth another try this way :)

I’ve been eating like Dr. Greger for 3 years! I’m now 60 years old. All my health metrics very quickly normalized, blood pressure, cholesterol, weight are all normal now. My 3 siblings are all obese, on blood pressure and cholesterol meds and two have had cancer. I’m fine. I’ve been making my own pills for the supplements but only recently heard about the blate papes. I’m going to try those. Not sure if that will be easier or not. I make hundreds of filled capsules ahead of time and then put them together into about 60 bundles so I can quickly take them after meals. Oh after I started eating mushrooms and a quarter cup of broccoli sprouts a day, my IgA came back to normal for the first time in my life and my MGUS (Monoclonal Gammopathy, a precancerous condition) disappeared. Good thing I love mushrooms! I put them in everything now! Dude, I’m 60 and my blood pressure is 110 over 70. Keep your sodium down!

This made me laugh out loud over and over. The “shaving minutes of Dr. Greger’s lifespan” really cracked me up as did your dirt mushroom moment. Thank you for this gem!

Haha. Your diet "shaving minutes off Dr. Greger's 180 year lifespan" 😂

Regarding sodium, I find the best alternative is other spices and fresh herbs. Dr. Greger supports this as long as they don't contain salt. This really enlivens my diet and guests comment on the tastiness of my cooking. It's a very workable alternative. I use cumin, turmeric, black pepper, cinnamon, all the herbs, paprika, pepper flakes, coriander, curcumin, lemon grass, curry, mustard, garam masala, elote, umami (derived from mushrooms), and others. You might also try kala namak, or black salt. It's manufactured differently from regular salt and has a strong, somewhat eggy, taste. A little goes a long way.

Damn this is high quality content.

If people did a quarter of this and gave up the sad diet we would be in incredible shape

I'm 56 years old female, I'm on Michael Greger daily dozen for six years!! I'm 165 cm height and 56 kg weight. I never felt better than I'm on this diet!!! Thanks dr Greger!!!!

Loved this episode! Interesting to see you incorporate his suggestions & your response to them. We definitely need to customize to our preferences & reduce the ‘junk’ but always great information from Dr. Greger. Thank you 😊👍🏻

I watched as I made my morning green smoothie (including protein powder 😜) PLUS wheat germ - I added this since you posted your interview with Dr. G 😉👍 I really felt for you on day 2, the sodium quantity seemed so stressful! Also, I went and looked at the sodium content in the almond milk I use 😹 I liked your practical advice at the end - start with small steps and build on them! 🙌✨

Thanks! Breaking this down was just what I needed! Keep up the great communications!!!!! 🙂

This was a brilliant video and you are so funny!!!!! Thank you for making it. God bless, Take care, Rachel

Strong takeways! Awesome video!!

Omg the day 2 sodium fiasco was fucking hilarious 😂😂😂 hahahaha

Great video and great that you shared your recommendations at the end of the video. Those were super helpful!

Really enjoyed the video! Such good information! 🙌

Love your channel. Thanks for all you do.

I honestly love how honest you are about how your body is reacting to new foods. Thank you for being transparent! I laughed at cursing out the almond milk. Relatable.

I enjoyed this SO much! Definitely took away some things I want to implement!

Fantastic video - I've always tried to incorporate Dr. Gregor's recommendations, but it was difficult to find all of them in one place.

Great video! Also-the little spice packets I have now incorporated into my daily goals-just seeing how you prepared them helped give me the confidence to try! Its so easy now!

Great video! I appreciate all the effort you put in💚💚💚

I use the black cumin in lentil wraps. It’s really good! 👍🏻 1 tsp to 1 cup soaked red lentils / 2cups water. Also add garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Soak for 24 hours. Blend, add extra water if the batter is too thick. Should be a thinner pancake batter consistency and cook them like pancakes. Super delish. Fill with tofu, veggies, greens, and top with any kind of sauce you like or cabbage slaw. Delicious. 🤤 Amla powder I just add to my smoothies. 🤷🏻‍♀️ And drink golden chai to get my turmeric in. 😋

Thank you for trying this out and all the info 🙏

Hi Leif. Such an awesome video. As a new member of VSA, I’m taking my health journey to the next level! Not least of all, I appreciate your so epic videos and learn a bunch. About the powders, like Amla, black cumin, turmeric/black pepper, etc. combo: I learned one trick from the Esselstyns is to just toss them into your breakfast oatmeal- along with chopped greens, like beet greens , chard, and/or kale. I barely taste the spices. But I must say I like the idea of consuming them in the spice pouch. Over all, thanks so much.

Hey Leif! What a great video! Thank you. I had just ordered this book and it's here, and I was going to start the process as well! I have added some of those items to my daily intake. The mushrooms though..,.. LOL, I am definitely like you, absolutely HATE mushrooms. SO I use a mushroom powder and put it in my smoothie, so I can't taste it at all! But glad you've shown us this process. Thank you. Hugs from Northern Minnesota!

Aaahh I am so excited to watch this!! I love the idea! So fun and interesting

I really enjoyed this. First time watching your channel.

this was a great video! thank you!

thanks for all of this

Great video! 👏🏼

Loved the video, can you give us some of the recipes you had for the week or maybe a video like you did for menopause but with Dr. Gregor’s anti ageing ingredients and daily dozen? 😊

Very informative AND entertaining

The facial expressions after some of the new foods. Haha the Porcini Mushroom and berries on day two dinner 😂😂 👏🏼 I appreciate the honesty in this video.

I really enjoyed this one

Another fab video 👏👏 where can I find the Fried rice and squash , tomato veggie pasta & rainbow lentil pasta salad recipes pls? Thank you 🙏

Wow what a great video 👏👏👏

The key for me and Greger…a slow, purposeful, educated (learn as much as possible while adding one food at a time to understand effect) transition. I never thought I would get up to the 80-100 grams of fiber…but it is possible IF you transition slowly. Going from 30mg to 80mg overnight is shocking the species of bacteria that normally do that job…it takes weeks/months for the gut biome to change to a healthy mix for whole foods and high fiber. Also, I like your makeshift spice “pill”…I have learned to add/hide all those spices within recipes. Yes. It’s possible and palatable. 😂 Examples…amla and/cranberry mixed 😅in with yogurt, long pepper and black cumin as a substitute for black pepper, fenugreek seed powder in smoothies, etc. So sorry to hear the mushroom is your nemesis! Fortunately, I love them. The good news is that research has shown you don’t need very much each day. Be well and thanks for sharing.

Very pleased to learn that i already eat a lot of these foods! Vegan for the win!

This was great, glad you tried it. Over the last few years I got my salt consumption below 1000 mg on most days. My BP is averaging 120/75 and I am 71 years old. No pills! Fibre averages 100 mgs on most days.

I thoroughly enjoyed this video! So funny. Glad you made it through the 7 days! I hate mushrooms also, I may try the powdered versions. Thanks!! ❤

Loved this.

Love this, thank you.

Thank you for this. It is interesting and entertaining. Lol. Dried mushroom powder is great in soups. I don't think you would even notice it. My favorite apple is Braeburn, but they are hard to find. Pink Lady is my second favorite.

Great video thank you ❤

Hi! Randomly came across you and just subbed. Longtime vegan doing 🌱 WFPB no oil or sugar to feel better. Loved your take on this.

So fun watching you do this! You really looked like you wanted to puke rather than swallow those mushrooms! 🤣 Since being with the Vegan Gym program, I barely get sore after a hard workout, and I wondered why. I think you've answered that question for me when talking about protein at the end. Thanks!

Awesome I love your channel ❤

Idk if u have but I’d love a video on trying Bryan Johnsons blueprint diet

Your rant against the almond milk was hilarious!

@TheVeganGym I may have missed it, but what is the little "baggy" that you put your spices in and then dip into water? I was trying to put spices into capsules and it was a hassle. That baggy however looks super convenient for a variety of spices.

incredibly insightful video! i recommend doing this format but for glucose revolutions methods:D you probably wont even need to buy any new or special foods as her method focuses less on what to eat, and more when to eat what!

Hey bro, thank you for doing what you do. Thanks to all the medical people pushing the boundaries. ❤

A hack I use to help keep blood pressure in check because I eat out too much and get way too much sodium is to mix in salt substitute (the NuSalt stuff you used half way through which is KCl instead of NaCl) when I cook at home or get take away. Doing a half and half substitute you really can't tell that you replaced half the salt with KCl., but when cooking for myself I often just substitute it 100% except it does change the aftertaste a bit by making it more bitter. It gets the Potassium to Sodium ratio closer to where it should be, according to the Cronometer dashboard dials anyway, and has caused my blood pressure to be like yours without it to now low-100s over low-70s. I used to think it might be some combination of exercise and the KCl but I recently had a period where exercise and weight were pretty constant and the only difference was not using the KCl periodically. The blood pressure was creeping back up to where its normal levels. Should I be addressing that by cutting back more on my sodium? Absolutely. That's why I call it a hack.

A new study found that smoothies combining bananas with berries proved to decrease its flavanols (a key nutrient in berries) after being blended together.

"trying not to be dramatic" but being dramatic the whole time hahaha...nice video

😂😂😂😂😂😂 this video is hilarious! I knew it was gonna be torture when the apples got the highest compliment.

Laughed a lot. Great video 😂❤

First video I’ve watched. Ironically I sat down and made a health packed smoothie, green tea, a powdered supplement drink, pistachios & an iq bar. Felt good to know I was already doing it right before I’ve heard of either of you. Love the research in this, Automatic follow 12 years vegan here :)

Had to add another comment. Thanks for making me smile and laugh through this whole video. 😂 And by the way, since I’ve been following the Vegan Gym program, I’m constipated. Hahaha

What is it that you are eating to get in your daily iodine? Thank you!

My husband trains often, and is in alignment with how you feel towards sodium and protein. People should really adjust to how things make them feel in relation to guidelines.

Mincing mushrooms and adding a bit to grains or legumes is a great way to get them in, working up, and also add a bass note with umami. Spice like hatch or chipotle and tomato also helpful to mask. Remember new gut troops grow as we feed them and create new cravings

I love this video ☺

What's the name of those starch pockets for spices please ?

When you talk about protein intake per day, are you referencing total body mass or lean body mass? For example, say a body builder should have 1.4 grams (min) per kg of body weight. If I weigh 100 kg, that's 140 grams of protein a day. However if my lean body mass is only 50 kg, that means my protein would be half that at 70 kg of protein. Just not sure if I should be using lean body mass or total body mass in the calculations. Thanks!

Thank you for doing this. I watched this a while ago. I made some changes then, but thought the spice packet was a NO WAY for me! But after getting used to the earlier changes, I actually put all those spices and the packets in my Amazon cart. I'll let them sit there for a couple days until im sure I want to do it. Cutting sodium was one of my latest changes - it's hard.

Thank you for sharing your experience. You might look into Well Your World SOS free seasonings, dressings, sauces, and more. I also like to add Ka'Chava into my day. Ka'Chava has lots of good things in it, including mushrooms.

How are your tracking all your grams of fiber, sodium, protein etc. through your device? Can anyone elaborate. Thank you

30:45 your blood pressure cuff isnt place properly, so you wont get the most accurate reading. The rubber attachment should be going down from the center of your inner elbow, not on the side toward your tricep

What is the brand of the low salt?

Ha ha ha, your statement of hiding capers like you do for your pet was great. Oh man, your comments kept making me laugh!! About dirt & mushrooms..Glad you got thru this week ok. I have to do 1,000 mg daily sodium. Doing great-- can tell when I eat to much salt now. Since you are an Athlete, you do need more. Great info though. Thanks. God bless you from grandma Katie in Oregon

Thank you

This video is hilarious. I’ll stick to the daily dozen app 😂 Dr. G is the bomb for eating as healthy as he does- good job!

This was an awesome experiment and so informative! I’m a salty person. 😂 I definitely feel like I could lower my daily sodium intake quite a bit - I always reach for the more savory protein sources cuz I HATE protein powder! But I also live in Northern Arizona and hike out in the elements where you don’t even know how much you’re sweating because it’s literally a dry heat. So going to shoot for that 2300 mg target!❤

Great video! 🙌🏼 Im wondering about the salt intake and athletes too and if the extra salt is an increased risk or not. However remember that this is for longevity. Athletes arent the ones that live the longest… Low protein and low salt is for longevity. Not for building muscle or endurance training. 🙏🏻

Can you try Medical Medium, Raw till 4 or Starch Solution Protocols and see how you feel?

When you really become accustomed to eating no salt most foods will taste intolerably salty. I became accustomed to the natural taste of foods. I don’t eat baked goods, any processed food, bread, anything with added sodium. I have been on a no added sodium diet for decades. There are small amounts of naturally occurring sodium in many vegetables & dairy products. West soy makes sodium and sugar free soymilk. If you want to reduce added sodium you have to read every label and avoid restaurants except garden salads. A lot of that stuff sounds inter but I never heard of some things like the “ spice packets” and I wonder why the capers. You have a great attitude and you do appear very healthy.

Because I blend all my spices with dried fruit, flax, etc I can't taste the harshness etc... here's my breakfast (eat like a king) I blend (electric chopper) my spices (ground - black cumin, turmeric, pepper, cinnamon, ginger, alma, with 6 dried prunes, goji berries, barberries, wheatgerm, flaxseeds, chia seeds, nuts/seeds and sprinkle over cooked tri-colour quinoa and amaranth. (I batch cook quinoa and amaranth with dried frigs and apricots. Then add cranberry powder, mixture of berries which includes blueberries. ((Blend cooked soya beans with soya milk, dates, and pour over quinoa and amaranth... heat in the microwave before sprinkling my mix above)). 70 to 100g of Kale blended with banana, soya milk, dates and fruit... can add 2 tablespoons of hemp seeds for protein. Long pepper with tofu makes it taste more eggy. Airfried mushrooms are delicious. Purple sweet potatoes are sublime and not easy for me to buy where I live so I'm jealous if you can buy them easily. I've been following Greger since 2016. Myself and my husband are doing really well. I'm nearly 60 and my husband 73. We do weights, bike ride, pilates, walk and feeling better than we felt in our twenties. Back in the day we drank, smoked and didn't eat well. Every change we've made since 2011 has been life saving. It started with watching Earthlings. Vegan and people scared us that we'd suffer so after discovering Greger and getting to really understand nutrition we now realise that those people who worried about us aren't doing so well and we actually worry more about them. We've bought many copies of the How Not To Die book and given them to family and friends including two dentists and my doctor. It's not easy for people to change. They've got to really want to and they do change but only if they believe. Unfortunately the junk food (and I include meat/dairy in that category) are everywhere and fast food more available now than ever. Consequences of covid. The biggest health scare created more junk food eaters. 😢

Heyy what app do you use to track macros/micros

Fascinating. My fellow hikers take in electrolytes during hikes. They really state it helps…

I drink reishi and chaga mushroom powder with hot water kinda like healthy coffee :)

Dr Michael Greger is ambitious. When I think about those in my family that I lost due to preventable diseases, I wish they were ambitious too. We have a choice, to eat healthy food and be with our loved ones or eat trash and disappear from planet earth. There is nothing bad with being very ambitious when it comes to nutrition :)

I add barberries to my smoothies. While porcini mushrooms may be edible raw, they become tasty cooked. Try them with your beans. From my research, one leaf of kombu a day should be way too much iodine.

I agree about the salt…we walk 4 days per week on the golf course in hot Florida. We eat salted nuts and still crave salt at the end of the session. Large water intakes dilute the salt in your system.

I’m glad you touched on the importance of sodium for athletes. I was actually hospitalized for hyponatremia (low sodium) twice because I was afraid of sodium. The low sodium caused me to have six seizures at once. Since adding more salt, I have started to feel better, have had more energy, and enhanced my athletic performance. Please don’t be afraid of salt. Just avoid ultra processed foods like fried foods high in salt. Nothing wrong with adding salt to your food.

I’ll have to watch a second time because I was laughing so hard the first time through. 😂😂😂

Omg I would die 😂😂😂 the almond milk thing lmao

I’m a huge fan of Dr. Greger and I’m actually going to see him speak again on Sunday . I try to incorporate most of the things he mentioned in how not to age. I add Chaga mushroom extract powder to my smoothies as well as Amla powder. I would like to try to find some way of calculating my protein, fiber, salt intake . If anyone knows a really good app, please let me know!

When the food you need to eat to live longer makes you want to die. 😂

Dried porcini needs to be soaked in hot water, then you add it to your meal with most of the water, excluding the last tiny bit of water because that is where any soil from the mushrooms gather. I love porcini but would never crunch on it dried like that, it would be horrible. It's great in soups, deep umami flavour.

Note in Greger's vids regarding beets for workout recovery. Can confirm, I take two of health's harmony beetroot tablets (not sponsored) before workout and I notice a difference afterwards. (lots of walking, row machine)

I dont get the sodium thing man, idk if Dr Greger doesnt work out or do cardiovascular activity, but sodium is the electrolyte lost in the highest proportion in sweat so ur performance would likely suffer on a low sodium diet

Dr Greg is my youtube bestie

On a scale of 1-10, how cruciferous was your last week?

This was an interesting experiment for you. You need to look at garlic and onion powder and oregano and for sweet cinnamon and cardomom add flavour. Fresh cooked mushrooms are also can be added to many of the recipes you made. Sinmett nutrition makes some tasty recipes.

The smoothies look delicious

I am with you on the mushrooms, I’ve tried and tried and tried again and just can’t do it. Now I hide them in things diced up micro pieces to meals 🤣just so I eat them. Thanks for the video lots of new things to try!