Need a vegan Doctor? Maybe you should look at Dr. Greger. Vegans are often under ridicule by non-vegans for the lifestyle choices. The ridicule often leads vegans to pursue scientific resources to back the vegan standing. If you have ever researched the benefits of veganism, you would surely find Dr. Greger as a top resource. His public presence is not only broadly known, but is backed by his own science, research and personal witness.
The running joke, “How do you know when you’ve met a vegan? Give him 2 minutes and he’ll tell you,” does not exactly describe Dr. Greger—not only because his fame precedes him—but because he often would rather simply talk science.
Who Doctor Michael Greger?
Dr. Michael Greger is an American physician with sheer passion for the healing powers of a veganism and plant-based diets. Not only is he a licensed physician—as if being a doctor isn’t enough—but he is also a global speaker, New York Times Best Selling Author, and a leader in a major strive for modern medicine. Dr. Greger has grown a predominant public presence in the last two decades with appearances on Dr. Oz and The Colbert Report. His global conversations on health and veganism have gone viral by video interviews and TED Talks due to his “passion for social justice.” He is also a best-selling author for his works related to his passion.
Among his published works:
- How Not To Die
- How Not To Diet
- How to Survive a Pandemic
Where did he attend school?
Greger attended Cornell University School of Agriculture during his undergraduate years as biophysics major where he became a vegan after touring a stockyard during his work with Farm Sanctuary. In 1990 He went on to receive a full-scholarship to study medicine at Tufts School of Medicine and graduated in 1999 with a specialty in clinical nutrition. In his early years in medicine, Dr. Greger joined research teams on Mad Cow disease and presented the disease as the “plague of the 21st century.” During his second year of med-school, Greger was requested by Oprah Winfrey’s lawyers to testify to the effects of Mad Cow Disease.
Dr. Greger’s Published Research
By the early 2000s, Dr. Greger published research on the importance of a healthy diet and its medical benefits. He was also a founding member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine in San Bernardino county. Back then, Greger stated that modern medicine is mostly about treating symptoms rather than actual preventative measures. He’s received some negative feedback from calling out modern physicians for pushing-pills instead of teaching patience to live healthier lives.
Since then he has shaped his presence, redefined public knowledge on veganism, and promoted lifestyle changes not only for the public but also for other practicing physicians. In 2019, he was “indicted” into the Vegan Hall of Fame during the premier of his book, How Not To Diet.
Today Dr. Greger focuses on awareness of Lifestyle Medicine, which is widely proposed to be the future of medicine. He defines Lifestyle Medicine (1^) as “evidence-based lifestyle approaches to treat, prevent, and even reverse common/chronic disease.” Lifestyle Medicine is considered an official field of medicine since 2017. Being on the forefront of this movement, Dr. Greger is considered a “guru” for veganism, whole-foods diets, and Lifestyle Medicine.
Dr. Greger attests his position on lifestyle to having witnessed the reversal of his grandmother’s terminal prognosis of Heart disease at a young age all due to a change in her diet. He speaks openly about the experience and how her shift to a whole-foods diet and recovery shaped his life’s work.
Why is Dr. Greger famous in the vegan community?
His notoriety comes from his laxed public presence. Greger is an all-time favorite speaker at Vegan Summerfest for his notable presentations and sheer passion. His notoriety steams from his excellent people-skills and science-backed presentations. One of his iconic presentations (2^) is on how we use the term “vegan”. Greger claims that “vegan” should not be used so frugally since it does not actually describe a daily diet. He explains the term “plant-based diet” is more direct and actually tells listeners what the diet is—eating earth-grown foods rather than just avoiding meats and dairy, which instills that the person could be surviving off of chips and soda.
Greger differentiates from other Lifestyle Medicine enthusiasts because he understands that veganism is “not black and white,” it has gray areas. In his book, How Not To Diet, he empowers vegans to have “bacon-flavored” items if they so choose because people holding themselves on a pedestal is not healthy either. His fun-loving attitude has greatly impacted his success.
He professes the healing powers of a healthy diet, giving various tips and tricks for living a vegan life on a number of platforms:
- The Daily Dozen app by NutritionFacts.org
- NutritionFacts.org website
- Nearly 200 Podcasts
- YouTube channel
- TED Talks
Dr. Greger owns the nonprofit called NutritionFacts.org
His 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, NutritionFacts.org, has many off-shoots. Most of his online presence is somehow related to the nonprofit. Dr. Greger provides free routine updates on a variety of subjects related to a plant-based diet on the organization’s website. Many videos shared on this site are also shared on his YouTube channel and his Podcast channel.
Dr. Greger’s Daily Dozen is a tremendously successful app that lets users track and record their successes while providing tips, daily nutrient suggestions, exercise guidelines, provides access to nearly a thousand videos and articles on healthy eating, and more. The app is based on his book How Not To Die and the Daily Dozen Checklist within.
All proceeds from his nonprofit (the app, Podcasts, etc.) are donated to charity.
Michael’s TED Talk (Video Below)
As a frequent TED “Talker,” Greger continues to present new findings and join global discussions related to Lifestyle Medicine and plant-based diets. A common topic he discussed in TED Talks is “Food as Medicine,” where he lays out how food should be healing and nutrition rather than a means to an end. Throughout one notable Talk, he explains how food contains many of the healing supplements that people take. If only we would educate ourselves on this, we could prevent so many diseases and future health issues.
Although some of his lectures may seem like common-knowledge, understanding the everyday basics of his teachings could truly save your life.
Want to learn more? Seek a healthier lifestyle with Dr. Greger online by checking out the links below.
Resources and additional information:
- Personal website: https://drgreger.org/
- Nutrition website: https://nutritionfacts.org/
- Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/NutritionFactsOrg
- Daily Dozen: https://nutritionfacts.org/daily-dozen-challenge/
- Wikipedia history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Greger
- Vegan Hall of Fame: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evhUeWVSe6w&t=320
- Plant based diet Vs. Veganism https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyR9T_86pxg
