So I saw this film Forks Over Knives on Tuesday and it basically made me go insane. In a good way, I mean. Long story short, I came home, threw out all my shitty, processed food and made a serious commitment to myself to my family to not let the 90 minutes I spent sitting there, mouth agape, tears running down my face go to waste.
Long story long, it’s not what you think. It’s not some animal rights tear-jerker. In fact, they mention animals for about 5 seconds in the entire film. Not a slaughterhouse scene to be found. I think there might have been a cow, but it had a gob of snot hanging from it’s nose so it wasn’t exactly adorable. And you know what? Good – because I didn’t need another film appealing to my compassion. Cute animals are killed for food. I get it. That’s why I became a vegetarian over 12 years ago. That’s why I went vegan for about 5 years. But an emotional reaction to a situation that, let’s face it, will probably never change isn’t exactly the foundation for a serious life change. Not for me, anyway.
What I really needed, and what I got from this film, was a message that appealed to my will to live, and to my desire to have my husband around until we’re old and wrinkly, and to give my son a long, healthy life. The message was simple: “‘Diseases of affluence’ that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting our present menu of animal-based and processed foods.”
Day one’s dinner – no dairy and I didn’t die.
If you’re reading this I can only assume that you already know you should eat your veggies and whole grains. And that’s not because my readers are so smart, although clearly you are, but because any twit who ever watched Sesame Street knows that. But how and why? Well, in Forks Over Knives researchers Dr. T. Colin Campbell and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn do a better job of explaining it than I ever could. In a nushell, though, degenerative diseases like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and even several forms of cancer, can almost always be prevented—and in many cases reversed—by adopting a whole foods, plant-based diet.
So why doesn’t everyone know this? Money. For one, pharmaceutical companies don’t want you to cure your diabetes or kill your cancer. They can’t sell you drugs that way. And the politicians they’re in bed with know it, too. Additionally, the USDA knowingly deceives the American public about the real risks associated with eating things like high fructose corn syrup and an abundance dairy-based foods in order to protect their personal investments in agribusiness.
If you’ve ever lost someone to complications from cancer, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure or a stroke you’ll understand that my tears were tears of rage. Why aren’t more doctors advocating a plant-based diet? Is it because they’d rather preform a $100,000 bypass surgery or do they honestly not understand the connection between the food we eat and our long-term health? Or maybe it’s because they know most people would rather eat hot dogs than save their own lives.
I think Dr. Esselstyn put it really well when he explained that some people might think a plant-based diet is extreme – but he would argue that having your body cut in half, ribs spread apart, heart exposed while a surgeon removes a vein from your leg and stitches it to the outside of your heart so the blood can flow (that’s what a bypass is) is pretty extreme. Sho nuff.
“Some Krishna temple ass shit” according to Tony (in a good way)
So what am I doing about it? Well, like I said – I massively cleaned house. Plant-based certainly doesn’t mean no jellybeans ever, but I know it’s my responsibility to try and find a better way to snack. Then Tony and I talked about how we could prepare healthy meals ahead of time a few days a week, and then warm them up after work. I’ve also been tweeting my meals, and reading what my friends who are also taking the 28 Day Healthy Eating Challenge are eating for ideas.
I think the most important thing I’m coming to grips with during this challenge is that I have to keep it real. Literally and figuratively. Like, I need to really focus on eating real food. Greens, vegetables, beans, fruit, whole grains, etc. If it has unpronounceable ingredients, don’t eat it. And I need to keep it real in the sense that I know myself. I know my strengths and weaknesses. I can adapt and learn to approach food differently – I don’t need to butter my bread, I don’t need to throw cheese on my spaghetti. But sometimes I do need a snack, and I never want it to be the “handful of almonds” every stupid diet book suggests. So I can opt to make coconut milk ice cream, or I can buy Joe Joe’s from Trader Joe’s once every few months and know that it doesn’t mean I’ve failed. It means I’m gaining control.
So if you can’t tell yet, I am pro-this movie. I was so encouraged that it’s never too late to take the reigns on your relationship with food and with your body. I really hope you’ll all see it when it plays near you. You might not go vegan, and that’s fine – but at least you’ll have the opportunity to decide what’s best for you and your family.
Have you seen Forks Over Knives? What did you think?
Natalie – Fantastic review. Thanks for posting. I like how you point out that you want to live until you are “old and wrinkly” with your husband – agreed! These types of films are a real wake-up call. I also reviewed the film (with tips for those who may be dragged to see it by non-vegetarians!), my thoughts here: http://ow.ly/4TXT8. Thanks again. Just followed you on twitter too.
Loved this post. I just finished watching Food Matters on Netflix streaming and had a similar reaction. Although it’s more about eating raw I still gained the same principles and am in the process of changing the way my family and I eat. I’m really looking forward to seeing this movie as well. Thank you for sharing.
Really looking forward to seeing this, its playing down the street this weekend. When you said “Or maybe it’s because they know most people would rather eat hot dogs than save their own lives” I think you hit the nail on the head. I think the problem with the modern relationship to health (and I am by NO MEANS a healthy eater) is that we all want to indulge and ignore the reality of illness until it happens, no one rationally WANTS heart disease/diabetes/cancer/ect. but as with all things unpleasant we push it to the back of our minds and live in denial. It’s only when it happens to us or someone close to us that the veil of denial is lifted and we finally acknowledge our mortality. I’m TERRIFIED of myself or my wife dying by something as controllable as what we eat, I’ll save my gambling for riding my motorcycle or being a pedestrian in Seattle, if nothing else its more epic to get hit by a truck (like the Smiths said “if a 10 ton truck, kills the both of us…” ) than have my wife have to tell people I died from too much cheese, that’d just be embarrassing.
I really want to see this movie even more after reading your review. (Love the boogery cow part. Suck it, Ebert. Natalie ftw!)
Thought provoking article and hard hitting in a very subtle way.
I am happy you posted this. Strange enough on Thursday I was reading a book that jolted me back from my vegetarian diet. I’ve been eating dairy, cheese and eggs periodically the last 2 years. But, Friday my husband and I did the same thing restocking the house with Whole Grains, tempeh and other healthy things. I have to admit I am not a lover of a lot of veggies. I have a few staple items, but this is going to be transition back to being Vegan. You posting this is a reassuring factor that I am doing the right thing for my health and my husband. Excited to get some recipe ideas!
Many things in this world cause cancer, and unfortunately healthy eating alone isn’t going to change that. To suggest it is is a nice way to make cancer victims feel like they’re partially to blame for their illness. I absolutely think we should eat healthy, but I’m a hell of a lot more concerned about eliminating the environmental and occupational carcinogens out there then suggesting there’s a pharmaceutical industry (whom I loathe as well) conspiracy to stop us from eating healthily. I’m proudly vegetarian as well as someone who works with cancer victims, but it would be nice to see a broader critical discussion of these issues…
And of course, we also had cancers before processed food…and my vegan friend with cancer was pretty damn happy to gave cancer drugs that shrank her tumours.
Ella- I can only speak for myself, and not for the makers of Forks Over Knives, but it is certainly not my intention to blame cancer victims (or anyone else suffering from poor health,) but rather, to open people’s eyes to the fact that the information most of us have come to accept about food is false. Example: Milk builds strong bones. If that’s the case, then why do we in the US, where we consume more dairy products than any other country, have some of the highest incidences of osteoperosis?
The debate about eating meat vs not eating meat will go on until the end of time, but how can anyone not stop for a second, think about dairy, and admit that it is completely unnatural for one species to consume the milk of another species? No other animal on this planet does that!
Sure, there was cancer before processed foods, and I also know vegans who have been stricken with cancer and other diseases. However, we can look at the studies done in China and other parts of the world before the Western diet spread to them – and their incidents of cancer, diabetes, obesity, heart disease and other ailments and see that while those problems did exist, the numbers were small. Once a Western diet of lots of cheaply processed meat, dairy, high fructose corn syrup and other foods entered their diets, and things like vegetables and grains started being bypassed, that the percentages skyrocketed.
Will a plant-based diet cure every problem ever? Of course not. Are vegans invincible? Nope. Do we deserve to hear ALL sides of the story before making our own decisions? I believe we are. And I made mine.
yall are a bunch of idiots…… There is nothing wrong with eating stuff that tastes good only do it in moderation and meats and dairy are good for you has been proven true!! Why throw away your food after seeing an idiotic documentary …. The food cost money! Vegans are not educated enough to know that meat is good for you. They think ohhhhhh poor animals …. Screw the animals they are food
Wow John, you really make a strong case for your argument. I’m sure calling people idiots is going to do a lot to influence them to eat things that make them sick because “it taste good.” And Americans are awesome at moderation, why didn’t I think of that solution?
Unless you’re hunting and then preparing your own meat or buying it from the Amish, chances are it’s not so healthy.
I’m not saying everyone should go vegan. I’m not vegan. I wear Nikes and occasionally butter my toast. But I am saying we’ve gotten far, far away from eating real, healthy food and our culture and it’s time to wake up. This movie did it for me, but I want to live a long, healthy life. If other people lack that desire I encourage them to eat as much meat and dairy as they possible can.
I find it interesting that “John” calls people idiots and says “Vegans are not educated enough to know that meat is good for you” yet regales us with such an intelligently written post. Hats off to you sir, you are truly the superior intellect.
As for his comment “Screw the animals they are food” well that’s another well formed opinion my friend. Why are no vegans/vegetarians intelligent enough to realize that might makes right and that since we CAN dominate over another species that we obviously SHOULD, not sure how that simple brilliance has escaped me for so long. Ya know, I was thinking, if we follow your as you’ve stated more educated perspective than why don’t we just take it to its logical conclusion and just oppress everyone and everything weaker or in a lower position of power than us?
Sarcasm aside, sounds like a bully to me and bullies were never something I’ve tolerated.
Ella- First no disrespect intended in this post and perhaps I’ve misunderstood your point but I’m curious if you really believe that the pharmaceutical industry doesn’t operate with its financial best interests in mind? Or that they wouldn’t go out of their way to suppress information that would conflict with those financial best interests? Drugs are a multi-billion dollar industry and if the knowledge that homeopathic methods or adjustments in diet could treat many illnesses as well if not better then their drugs became public knowledge they would stand to lose millions if not billions of dollars. This isn’t to say that drugs are in and of themselves a negative thing, in fact they are often quite necessary, its just to say that to think that they would not conspire to oppress information that would hurt the industries bottom line is fairly naive.
Also, of course not ALL cancers/illnesses are caused by or cured through diet but MANY are and I think that’s all that’s really being said. We should be equally concerned about diet based causes as environmental/occupational ones. As someone who lost my grandfather to cancer caused by exposure to asbestos while working for the DuPont company I’m well aware that he was in no way at fault for his illness but to suggest that no cancer victims should feel like they’re ever partially to blame for their illness is naive. I love my mother with all my heart and soul and would be devastated to lose her but if she developed lung cancer after unrepentantly smoking a pack a day since she was 14 (she’s 68 now) she would need to accept that she is if not totally than at least partially to blame for it. We ARE responsible for what we put in our bodies and if that knowingly can cause health issues we need to shoulder that blame and just for full disclosure, I’m no saint one of my favorite things is craft brewed beer and I imbibe regularly (though with in moderation) and were this to cause health issues I’d have to accept responsibility for that as I know full well its not exactly healthy. So I guess where I’m heading with this is that while diet and conscious actions may not eliminate all potential illness we should embrace it for the ones it does prevent.
Thank you for posting this, Natalie. Many people who may not otherwise think about their health will read this and hopefully make a positive change.
This was a fabulous post. You are an excellent writer. I look forward to sharing good vegan eats with you on twitter!
Have you read the Omnivore’s Dilemma? I’m interested to hear what you think of Michael Pollan’s approach to healthy eating: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” You can’t go wrong 🙂
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