FORKS OVER KNIVES examines the profound claim that most, if not all, of the so-called “diseases of affluence” that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting our present menu of animal-based and processed foods. The major storyline in the film traces the personal journeys of a pair of pioneering yet under-appreciated researchers, Dr. T. Colin Campbell and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn. (Hey, we know those guys! They’ve written some of our favorite books – The China Study by Dr. Campbell and Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease by Dr. Esselstyn.)
The filmmakers travel with Drs. Campbell and Esselstyn on their separate but similar paths, from their childhood farms where they both produced “nature’s perfect food”; to China and Cleveland, where they explored ideas that challenged the established thinking and shook their own core beliefs.
The idea of food as medicine is put to the test. Throughout the film, cameras follow “reality patients” who have chronic conditions from heart disease to diabetes. Doctors teach these patients how to adopt a whole foods plant-based diet as the primary approach to treat their ailments—while the challenges and triumphs of their journeys are revealed.
Check here for theaters showing Forks Over Knives in the USA. Check here for theaters showing Forks Over Knives in Canada.
We found this great list of words used on food labels and what they mean. Here’s the beginning of the article to explain it more – we encourage you to click the link and read the whole thing, plus the comments.
These days, grocery shopping involves a lot of reading. Food is rarely content to just be, and instead, must include dozens of labels designating it as CAGE-FREE, HIGH IN ANTIOXIDANTS, or the dreaded ORGANIC. And even if you know your PASTURED from your HUMANELY-RAISED chickens, odds are you still need a PhD to decode most of the other language.
So, to make navigating your supermarket a tad easier, here are 26 food labels, defined and explained in terms understandable to humans. I have to be honest – 36 hours ago, I couldn’t tell the difference between LOW-FAT, LITE and REDUCED-FAT. Now, I can. And I have this guide to consult when I forget.
Seafood is part of the Total Health Makeover® for those who choose to eat animal protein, and Lent starts next Wednesday – fish is a traditional Lenten food, and it’s often on sale during the next six weeks at your grocery store.
Not all seafood is good for you, though. How do you know what’s good for you, and what’s really not so healthy? (Rule number 1 – Don’t automatically trust the person trying to make the sale…)
Monterey Bay Aquarium keeps this information updated and available for everyone. We love that they’ve dedicated themselves to gathering this information and publishing it.
Download pocket guides here – they’re available by region of the US. There’s even a sushi guide!
Or get a mobile application – iPhone users can download this application, or if you have another phone with internet service, just go to mobile.seafoodwatch.org.
Marilu’s Total Health Makeover® is easily adaptable for vegans, and many of our members here are vegans. But many are not – though they probably eat a lot less animal protein than they did before following THM®.
Yesterday on Oprah, Kathy Freston (author of Veganist) helped the staff and their families take the vegan challenge. Kathy said her husband calls himself “veganish” – which is a great word. So many of us are happy to eat vegan most of the time – but then big family celebrations or holidays or unwilling partners get added to the picture, and it becomes impractical (or the beginning of an epic battle), and it’s not worth that. So we are “veganish” – mostly vegan. Vegan at home, perhaps. Or vegan on our own. Or vegan most days of the week.
And that’s okay. The most important thing is to keep eating the best food available – fresh, organic, nutrient-dense, local, etc – and to choose your food consciously. Know what you’re eating. Learn the process of how it got to you. Prepare it with care.
If you naturally transition to a “veganish” diet over time, it’s likely (with your good choices) to make you healthier, too.
If you’re looking for vegan recipes, click on our index tag over there on the right. All the recipes we post on Mondays are vegan.
If you want to lose weight and get healthy, we have a great 30-day program with vegan recipes and meal plans, and daily personal coaching to answer all your questions and provide support. Join now to take the class (starts each Monday).
Not everyone eats turkey at Thanksgiving. If you prefer to celebrate by saving a turkey, consider Farm Sanctuary‘s Adopt-A-Turkey Project which offers a compassionate alternative for Thanksgiving.
Since 1986, Farm Sanctuary has rescued more than 1,000 turkeys, placed hundreds into loving homes through our annual Turkey Express adoption event, educated millions of people about their plight, and provided resources for a cruelty-free holiday. For a one-time $30 donation, anyone can sponsor turkeys residing at Farm Sanctuary.
There’s nothing worse than a low-energy day as we head into the holiday season – except maybe a string of low-energy days.
The best way to combat low-energy is by taking care of yourself. Caffeine and those chemical-laden energy drinks are a waste of money and dangerous for your health.
Go to bed at a reasonable hour. Studies have shown that getting a couple of hours of sleep before midnight is especially helpful.
Get 6-8 hours of sleep each night. Individual needs vary, but usually fall in this range.
Drink water as your primary beverage. Cut out all sodas and caffeinated beverages. Limit your alcohol consumption to no more than two drinks a day, and no more than five drinks a week. Drink a glass of water for every alcoholic beverage you consume.
Eat a minimum of 5 servings of vegetables a day, and make at least one of those leafy greens (spinach, kale, etc.).
Cut out the sugar and sweeteners. They may give you a boost, but it’s only a temporary feeling before the crash.
Exercise every day. Do something that makes you break a sweat, and then keep it up for 10 more minutes. Exercise helps you sleep better, metabolize food better, and helps reduce stress.
Cut back on animal proteins. They take more energy to digest, and you want that energy for other tasks.
PCRM’s new “Consequences” ad takes aim at McDonald’s high-fat menu.
“Our nation’s addiction to Big Macs and other high-fat fast food is literally breaking our hearts,” says Susan Levin, M.S., R.D., PCRM’s nutrition education director. “PCRM’s commercial tackles heart disease head-on by educating millions of people about the dangers of fast food.”
Studies, including one from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, show that people who consume fast food are at a higher risk of obesity, a key risk factor for heart disease. Regular consumption of high-fat, high-cholesterol foods increases the risk of heart disease, and studies have found that even a single fatty meal can raise blood pressure, stiffen major arteries, and cause the heart to beat harder.
The commercial will air in fast-food addicted cities with high rates of heart disease over the following months.
To read more about the dangers of fast food, visit PCRM.org/Health.
Yikes! With all the bad eggs in the news recently, we thought it would be good to remind you about a couple of options.
The first option is to get to know a farmer who has chickens for their eggs. Go to your local farmer’s market, and find someone (or more than one) selling eggs. Talk to them. Ask about their chickens – how they’re raised, what they’re fed, how often they go outside. Ask to visit the farm – this might be impractical for you, but chances are good that a farmer who is proud of her farm will be happy to show it off to you – plus it’s a great field trip for your family, if you’re city-dwellers. You’ll not only gain confidence in your very own food supplier, you’ll have a new friend.
If you want to avoid eggs altogether, check out this post on vegan substitutes for eggs.
Even if you continue to eat eggs from your new farmer friend, you may want to reduce the number of eggs you eat. Learn and use some subs, even if you still eat some eggs.
A human health crisis is brewing on our nation’s farms. An estimated 70 percent of antibiotics used in the United States are fed to animals that are not sick, a practice that breeds antibiotic-resistant bacteria and causes costly, painful, and sometimes deadly human diseases.
Last year, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) acknowledged the scientific consensus on the connection between human health and this nontherapeutic antibiotic use on the farm. Yet the FDA’s actions, including a recently released set of principles on this subject, have not yet tackled the problem.
