"Forks Over Knives" Documentary Film

With all these documentary reviews I written lately, it feels like I've switched my focus on the blog. It isn't so. The films I've been watching lately just seem to get better. I think it's because my realization of what they are saying is hitting home.

Much of the time, watching this, I found myself just nodding to myself...not because I know this already, but I'm really glad to see the whole foods, plant-based diet being promoted in a big way. They present it in a "just see this to believe it" sort of way. Following some people who changed their eating habits on the path to better health, doctor monitored and all, you find out their results.

Featured are Dr. T. Colin Campbell, a nutritional biochemist from Cornell University, and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, a former top surgeon at Cleveland Clinic. Two men of near the same age and both raised on farms, finally meet after decades of work in their respective fields of research. They put their knowledge to use to help those "least likely to succeed" in their personal health journey. They practice what they preach and still maintain active lives using a whole foods, plant-based approach.

You see everyday people, changing what they eat, with wonderful results. I want to emphasize whole foods here. Being vegetarian and now vegan for a number of years, I can honestly say that my journey has not always been whole foods.

Of course, pre-veggie days, it might have been slightly better that most standard American diets out there, but not "whole" in any sense. Just the processing alone of the foods we Americans eat is just plain crazy. Some foods don't even resemble their plant based "roots". Did you know that some children don't know what many vegetables are, let alone know that they grow out of the ground?

Seriously, we are so far from our farmer "forefathers" that we just buy it in a package, take it home, freeze it, then "nuke" it in the microwave, in its own bag, nonetheless. Then we eat it on disposable plates with paper napkins on the side. And throw the whole disposable mess away when we are done. It's like fast food, only "homemade" instead.

Did you know there are actual cooking shows on television that you can watch that feature someone putting cans of this and boxes of that, a little artificial this and, throw in some decor for your next party, and "your done" kind of stuff? 

Granted some people actually do this. It's a modern trend happening because people don't know how to cook and prepare food that tastes homemade. What people know is pre-made food, mass produced for the grocery shelves, that is warmed up at home.

And yes, you can gain weight and not be in the best health as a vegetarian, even  vegan....ask me how I know. I would also venture to say though, that most people everywhere eating whatever they eat, also gain weight and are not in the best health. That being said, we all could use some pep talk now and again to make us aware that we all must plan to thrive by doing better and not just do it "good enough."

"Good enough" just isn't...You must make it a goal to eat well and avoid the "knife" that the title of this documentary alludes to. We must take back our health and show our children the way to pass it on to the next generation.

I believe the film claims correctly that a whole foods, plant based diet is the way to go.

Soapbox is put away now...Just want to make sure you know that this is a must see.

"Ingredients" Documentary

Another documentary that focuses of local foods and farmer's markets in called "Ingredients - The Local Food Movement Takes Root". Here's a link to the website: http://www.ingredientsfilm.com/. It talks about how local foods are so much more sustainable, as there are minimal costs involved in transporting foods.

There is also more variety available because some produce doesn't ship well for long distances or over time. I have realized that the less time there is from garden to the table, the tastier and more nutritious the food is. It is so fresh looking and beautiful.

The film is only a little over an hour long and is similar to the "Food Matters" documentary that I wrote about earlier. Our family watched it recently after we put a hold on this film at our local library.

It is encouraging to see how chefs and restaurants are tasting the difference that local, organic foods have on their menu and customer's enjoyment. In fact, some are writing their menus daily based on what is available that day in the gardens.

They feature one woman, a local foods advocate, who has been growing all her own food. Very interesting that she doesn't go to the store for any of the produce she eats. She simply grows it all.  A whole different twist on "farm to table" that many (especially city folk) don't see.

It focuses on sustainability-minded farmers in Oregon, New York and Ohio. There's also a good explanation of what the "bio-dynamic" agriculture method is all about. 

I encourage all to view this film. It has excellent photography to appropriately show the beautiful local foods we all can enjoy.

"Food Matters" Documentary

I recently watched "Food Matters" with my family. I highly recommend it to everyone. Informative and eye opening. It reinforces what I've already learned and reminds me to stay vigilant on matters of food and health care.

You really are what you eat! Watch the video.

"Food, Inc." Thoughts

The posters advertising the documentary, "Food, Inc.", show a picture of a cow with a large upc symbol on its side. "You'll never look at dinner the same way again" it promises.

Ever since viewing the French documentary on Monsanto (click here for link to view online), I've been interested in our source of food. If you eat (we all need to) and particularly if you prepare food for others (families, children, etc.), then you need to know how food is grown, brought to market, etc.

I encourage people to watch "Food, Inc." on their own. Even if you borrow it from the library like I did, WATCH IT! It is indeed a must-see film.

I want to highlight some things I saw, heard and read while watching the "Food, Inc." documentary. The film is directed by Robert Kenner. There are some rather interesting things to note about America's meat and plant based food industry. You decide what you think.

You will hear Eric Schlosser, author of "Fast Food Nation" and Michael Pollan, author of "The Omnivore's Dilemma" in the documentary and others with experience to know what they are talking about.

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What we believe about how and where our food comes from are obviously two different things if you buy your food in a supermarket.

In the meat industry, farms are replaced with factories. Workers have many things to do in little time making injuries more common and decreasing quality of work overall.

There are a few corporations who are controlling a large part of the food industry.

Industry food really came from fast food demands. The kitchens of fast food brought the factory like atmosphere into the food preparations. They also needed food that tasted the same, looked the same, and was cheap. The demands from fast food, changed how things were grown and processed. They wanted few foods, but large amounts of them to sell to their customers.

"In the 1970's, the top 5 beef packers controlled only about 25% of the market. Today, the top 4 control more than 80% of the market."

Even if you're not a fast food person, the typical person is still eating food processed in this same way.

They are "building" the animals to fit what people want. Larger chicken breasts, faster growing animals, but what is sacrificed is the animals health and the workers who process them.

These processors are setting the standards for how they want their farmers to grow the meat.

"So much of our industrial food, turns out to be clever rearrangements of corn."

It costs more to grow corn, than it does to buy it, because of subsidies. Corn not only can be used directly for food (many times in very processed forms), but also fed to animals. Cattle, pork, chickens and even fish now are being fed corn.

"The average American is eating over 200 pounds of meat per person per year. And that wouldn't be possible had we not fed them this diet of cheap grain."

"Cows are not designed...to eat corn, they are designed...to eat grass. The only reason we feed them corn is because corn is really cheap and corn makes them fat quickly."

There is a link between corn fed animals and E. Coli.

"These regulatory agencies are being controlled by the very companies that they are supposed to be scrutinizing."

The bigger the processing plants, the larger the contamination problem.

FDA doesn't have the power it needs to shut down the plants that have the most contamination. By reintroducing "Kevin's Law" they could.

"If you take feed lot cattle off of their corn diet, give them grass for 5 days, they will shed 80% of the E.Coli in their gut."

Meat is being washed with ammonia to kill E. Coli.

Shopping for food becomes a dollar game, trying to get as much food for less money. The problem is that many cheap foods (heavily subsidized to stay cheap) are not as nutritious as the more nutrient dense foods, like vegetables.

Corn, soy, and wheat are commodity crops and are heavily subsidized.

"One in three Americans born after 2000 will contract early onset diabetes. Among minorities, the rate will be 1 in 2."

"IN 1996, when Monsanto began selling Roundup Ready soybeans, only 2% of soybeans in the U.S. contained their patented gene. By 2008, over 90% of soybeans in the U.S. contained Monsanto's patented gene."

"...70% of processed foods in the supermarket has some genetically modified ingredient."

"The irony is that the average consumer does not feel very powerful. They think that they are the recipients of whatever industry has put out there for them to consume. Trust me it's the exact opposite."

"To eat well in this country costs more, than to eat badly."

You vote with your food dollars every day.

Buy foods in season. Buy local. Plant a garden.

Buy organic. Buy gmo free. Read labels.

Cook at home and eat together.

www.takepart.com/foodinc

If you get the DVD to watch, make sure you watch the deleted scenes and other special features. There is good information in there as well. There is so much I didn't touch on at all. All worth seeing once to decide for yourself.

"The World According to Monsanto" Documentary

Do you ever wonder how you could tell others about something so important, so life changing, that everyone should know? Well here, my friends is one of those times. I am privileged to be able to do that today...
I have just viewed a video documentary that I found very informative.
You need to see this if you care about real food. If you want to know what GM (genetically modified) is and milk that has bovine growth hormones is all about, you should take some time to watch this.
It is 108 minutes long. It aired in France in March 2008.
We vote with our dollars everyday. Make sure you put your money where your mouth is.

Click here to view The World According to Monsanto.

Click here to view more about GMO's and seeds for your garden.