I’ve seen many food, farming, and health-related documentaries, but a film I watched recently stood out from the pack. Forks Over Knives examines the profound claim that “most, if not all, of the degenerative diseases that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting animal-based and processed foods.” Said more simply, it encourages us to improve our health by eating more fruits and veggies.
The experts in Forks Over Knives advocate a whole-food, plant-based diet. This includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts & seeds, tubers (e.g., sweet potatoes), and legumes (e.g., peas, beans, and lentils). And it excludes or minimizes animal-based foods (e.g., meat, dairy, and eggs) and refined foods (e.g., bleached flour, refined sugar, and oil). Many people will recognize this as the basis for a Vegan diet. And critics point out that this film is a thinly-veiled commercial for Veganism, which rings fairly true.
While I don’t espouse any specific diet, I do believe it’s important to be informed, so we can make the best choices for ourselves and our families. And this film – like so many other films, studies,books, and experts – provides a thought-provoking and interesting perspective for consideration.
While experts (and non-experts) will endlessly debate the merits of one particular diet choice over another, I have yet to find a scientist, doctor, nutritionist – or regular person for that matter – who will argue that eating more fruits and vegetables is not good for our health. Michael Pollan punctuates this philosophy with a simple manifesto from his book, In Defense of Food: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”
A friend once told me, “If you have to read the food label too carefully, you probably shouldn’t be eating it.” That’s good news for all the gardeners out there… you won’t find any labels on those tomatoes and peppers growing in your backyard!
Enjoy your gardens, enjoy your food, and enjoy this film.
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