Watch: Forks over Knives

FORKS OVER KNIVES
96 min.
Rating: PG
2011
Director: Lee Fulkerson

A good friend recommended that we go and see this new documentary a few Fridays ago. "It's about the vegan diet," she explained, and we both knew it would likely throw a few punches at the North American convenience food diet. What I didn't know was how much this film would effect me and have me seriously considering my current diet and its need for an overhaul.

FORKS OVER KNIVES is a documentary about the whole foods, plant-based diet and its ability to control or reverse degenerative diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and several types of cancer. This is done by rejecting the North American "menu" of animal-based and processed food. Not exactly a message most people might want to hear - and one that many would be skeptical about. The backbone of this documentary is built around research and studies conducted by two doctors: Dr. T. Colin Campbell, a nutritional scientist from Cornell University; and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, a former top surgeon at the world renowned Cleveland Clinic. Both doctors made some remarkable discoveries during the early years of their careers which later led them to conduct several groundbreaking studies such as one that took place in China and is considered one of the most comprehensive health-related studies of all time. The doc also shows results of this whole foods, plant-based diet by following real people with real diseases and shows their seemingly miraculous recoveries in large part due to their healthier diets.

This documentary is great in that it really challenges our mainstream way of thinking and looking at the food we eat everyday. It does come across as pretty biased against the government-backed "healthy" diet, which includes meat, dairy and can be argued to include processed foods, as well. Hopefully it inspires some important discussion about our current diet. It ideally would encourage more of us to look into what it is we are eating, start asking questions, and do a bit of research for ourselves. I, for one, feel pretty inspired by this whole food, plant-based diet, and would watch the documentary again because it is so packed with scientific info. and cool nutrition facts - it's hard to get it all in with just one viewing!



Interested in learning more about the whole food, plant-based diet and trying some recipes? I am, too! The FORKS OVER KNIVES website (listed below) will soon offer an online resource to help with this endeavor. In the meantime, here are some cookbooks the film's team recommends:

The McDougall Quick and Easy Cookbook ($25)
The Engine 2 Diet ($24.99)
Keep It Simple Keep It Whole ($19.99)  

www.forksoverknives.com