Forks Over Knives

Since I started studying at IIN™, I have watched a lot of interesting films and video clips about nutrition.  Last night, I watched Forks Over Knives.  The film documents the stories of Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn, JR, MD and T. Colin Campbell, PhD.  These are two men, who, through separate research and studies, came to the same conclusion:  "degenerative diseases like heart disease, type 2 diabetes and even several forms of cancer can almost always be prevented- and in some cases reversed- by adopting a whole-foods, plant-based diet".  Forks Over Knives not only tells the stories of Dr. Campbell and Dr. Esselstyn, but it also intertwines several sub stories about people they have helped and other doctors that share the same philosophy.  The film shows first hand how your health can be dramatically transformed through food alone.  Although Forks Over Knives contains quite a bit of data and research to support the theory that a plant-based diet is best, it moves quickly and manages to stay entertaining. 

 I personally made the choice to stop eating meat 9 months ago.  I have also given up most dairy products and am working towards a primarily vegan diet.  Since I have made these changes, I have lost 25lbs and my cholesterol has dropped 57 points.  While this has been the right decision for me, I am a firm believer that we are all different and that nobody can tell you what you should and shouldn't eat.  Only you know what is right for your body.  That being said, while we should all make our own choices as to what is best, I think Forks Over Knives makes a pretty compelling case as to why a whole-foods, plant-based diet could be the right decision for most people.  Or, at the very least, why it is important to incorporate more whole foods and plants into your diet and less meat and dairy.  Watch it and let me know what you think.

After seeing the movie, my husband, who is a meat eater, has committed to trying to be meat-free for the month of October.  In support, I'm going to prepare some new vegetarian recipes for dinner this week, including some from Forks Over Knives- The Plant-Based Way to Health.  Hopefully they will be good enough that he will be encouraged to eat meat less often in the future... we'll see.  I will post the recipes and his review of each one next week. Stay tuned.