21st Century Vegetarians Blog

Chow Down The Movie Presents More Evidence Supporting a Plant-Based Diet

   

Chow Down, featuring Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Dr. Joel Fuhrman and others is yet another film which definitively proves that by following a plant-based diet most chronic diseases that plague over 130 million Americans may not only be prevented, but also reversed.  The answer is just that simple!

So many interesting points were raised in this film; for example, over 20 million Americans have diabetes, which is a major risk factor for heart disease. Over 70% of deaths in the U.S. are due to heart attacks. Ninety percent of diabetes cases and 60% of many cancers can be prevented by diet alone. There is a quote in the film regarding the role genetics plays in these illnesses, “genetics is the gun….lifestyle is the trigger”, supporting the fact that even if you were born with a genetic disposition to a certain disease, don’t add fuel to the fire by poor diet!

The movie, in the same vein as Forks Over Knives,  chronicles the lives and struggles of three people, Charles (42), John (58) and Garnet (45), all who suffer from heart disease or diabetes.  By adopting a plant-based diet,

Forks Over Knives - Review by Roger Ebert

 

Forks Over Knives, a new documentary featuring Dr. T. Colin Campbell (author of The China Study) and Dr. Caldwell Esseltyn, is currently in theatres in selected cities throughout the US. Check out the following review by movie critic Roger Ebert, and go see this movie!!!

Forks Over Knives

BY ROGER EBERT / May 11, 2011

 

 

Here is a film that could save your life. So you'd better stop reading now, because you don't want to go to the trouble. You are addicted to fat, salt, sugar and corn syrup. Your body has established a narcotic-like dependence on them, and you're comfortable with that, just like smokers know why they keep on smoking. If you have to die 10 or 25 years sooner than necessary to smoke, if you need Viagra because your vascular system is compromised, or if you're overweight, you can live with that.

Hey, I'm not going all holier-than-thou on you. Think how fat I was for years. I knew the solution, I was weak and lazy. Over 12 years I was eventually able to lose about 70 pounds with a proper diet, but my current weight and superb physical condition can be attributed to my illness. I am unable to eat or drink anything, and my (therefore) perfect diet of canned nutrition has given me an ideal weight and incredibly good blood numbers. I don't recommend that you get sick to get well, however.

What every human being should do is eat a vegetarian diet based on whole foods. Period. That's it. Animal protein is bad for you. Dairy is bad for you. Forget the ads: Milk and eggs are bad for you. Skim milk is no better, because it contains proportionately more animal protein. What you're trying to avoid is dietary cholesterol. You also need to cut way down on salt and sugar, and run like hell from high fructose corn syrup.

Forks Over Knives - New Movie Featuring T. Colin Campbell

 

Forks Over Knives, a new documentary featuring Dr. T. Colin Campbell (author of The China Study) and Dr. Caldwell Esseltyn, hits theatres March 11 and looks like it's going to be amazing! Here is a synopsis from the official Forks Over Knives website:

What has happened to us? Despite the most advanced medical technology in the world, we are sicker than ever by nearly every measure.

Two out of every three of us are overweight. Cases of diabetes are exploding, especially amongst our younger population. About half of us are taking at least one prescription drug. Major medical operations have become routine, helping to drive health care costs to astronomical levels.

Movie Review - 'Sicko" by Michael Moore

 

My family and I recently saw "Sicko" by Michael Moore, a documentary on the health care system (or lack thereof) in America. It was very sad and shocking in many ways, and I have to admit that I was surprised at the cost of health care in the event that you get sick or hurt.

After seeing "Food, Inc." a few days ago, I could not help but make the comparison to "Sicko." The one thing that both "delivery systems" has in common (whether it be food or health care) is that both are run by major corporations. Years ago in business school I learned that  the primary objective of every corporation is to make a profit and create maximum shareholder value. Many times this is done at the expense of the customer, because making a profit very often mean cutting costs and services.

So, this begs the question - if we know that corporations do not exist to care or take care of us, why do we continue to expect them to do so? It is the proverbial "trying to get blood from a turnip" dilemma. We simply MUST take our health into our own hands and focus on PREVENTION so that, if possible, we stay out of the health care system altogether.

Vegetarian Athletes: Who says you have to eat meat to be a successful athlete? (ESPN)

 

For those of you who have not read ESPN's John Keri's article, Who says you have to eat meat to be a successful athlete? it is definitely worth your time. In this article, Keri profiles several professional athletes, including Prince Fielder (pictured), Tony Gonzalez (NFL Player), Mac Danzig (Mixed Martial Arts Fighter), and more.

What I found most interesting about this article is that of the athletes featured, many of them started down the path of vegetarianism as a method to improve performance and recovery, however, after learning the truth behind the meat industry and the horrors of factory farming, their choices became rooted in a desire to live a more compassionate, environmentally friendly lifestyle.

This is how our family approaches life - it is possible to make a conscious choice every time you eat, without sacrificing flavor, nutrition, or even athletic performance.

Movie Review - 'Food, Inc.': For Health Or Profit, But Not Necessarily For Both (NPR)

This past weekend, my family and I finally saw Food, Inc., the acclaimed documentary about how our food is produced and about how the industrialization of our food system is based upon profit and not upon the health and well-being of our people. (See NPR review below). If you have not already seen it, I highly recommend that you do.

I already knew that modern food is literally killing us (especially meat and poultry),but it was still shocking to see this played out right before my eyes, on the "big" screen. One of the most shocking data points raised by this movie was the fact that, due to the eating habits of most Americans nowadays, 1 of  3 children born after the year 2000 will eventually contract Type 2 diabetes. For minority children, that number climbs to 1 in 2. This is devastating and almost completely avoidable by understanding what is in your food and learning how to make better choices.

I must admit, I did not know to what extent this industrialized system had affected fruits, vegetables, legumes and grains - the staples of our family's diet. After seeing this movie,

No Meat? Now What?

Recently, the Los Angeles Times released a story, Dying for some red meat? You may be, which states that:

Eating red meat increases the chances of dying prematurely, according to a large federal study offering powerful new evidence that a diet that regularly includes steaks, burgers and pork chops is hazardous to your health.

The study of more than 500,000 middle-age and elderly Americans found that those who consumed the equivalent of about a small hamburger every day were more than 30% more likely to die during the 10 years they were followed, mostly from heart disease and cancer. Sausage, cold cuts and other processed meats increased the risk too.

This is not new information. Many of us have heard this from various sources, and have been admonished to "eat more fruits and vegetables.....eat more whole grains and legumes." While I totally agree with this approach, I am also sensitive to those who want to make a change in their diet but cannot fathom cutting out (or even cutting down) on their meat consumption.

Those of you who have read my story know that one day, almost 24 years ago, I became a vegetarian and never looked back. On that day, I had pork chops (for breakfast!), but by the end of the day I was a vegetarian (no chicken, fish, or eggs either!). Trust me, I did not make the transition by substituting my pork chops with fruits and vegetables. Personally, I don't think I would have been able to survive (mentally) because until that day I have NEVER gone a day without having meat at at least two of my three meals per day.

 I stress mentally, because physically I would have been fine if I knew how and what to cook. But mentally, I could not imagine a meal that did not center around some thick, juicy, meaty substance. And we all know the power of the mind, right?

 

Diabetes: The Silent Killer

In the past, cases of juvenile diabetes were nearly always the result of Type 1 diabetes, which is the result of a medical condition in the body that prevents the production of insulin. Although this form of diabetes is very aggressive and there is no known cure, it can be managed with proper diet and medication. Thankfully, this type of diabetes is rare – less than 10% of those with diabetes have Type 1. On the other hand, Type 2 diabetes is on the rise, especially among our children due to poor diet, physical inactivity, and obesity.

Why do we care? Why is diabetes so dangerous? According to a recent report issued by the State of California and the Governor’s Summit on Health, Nutrition and Obesity, some of the gravest effects of diabetes are: