Given our seeming obsession with eating well and improving our health these days, why are more and more North Americans than ever before obese and ill? No one can watch or read the news without being struck by how we appear to be losing the battle in our quest for better health and nutrition. There are more cases of diabetes than ever before (most alarmingly among younger people); about half of us take at least one prescription drug; and the top three causes of death in the US—heart disease, cancer, and stroke—are no closer to being “cured” despite billions of dollars spent on research and treatment every year.
The new documentary film, Forks Over Knives (recently featured on the Dr. Oz Show), follows the journey of Colin T Campbell (a nutritional scientist from Cornell University and co-author of The China Study
) and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn (author of Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease
and the man whom former President Bill Clinton credits with helping him regain his health) as they conducted independent research that led them both to a single conclusion about the state of our health and what can be done to improve it: our supposed “diseases of affluence” can not only be prevented, but often reversed, by rejecting the standard diet of processed foods, junk foods, and animal-heavy meals that are staples for many North Americans--and replacing them with a whole foods, plant-based diet instead. The film will also present several cases of patients with chronic debilitating conditions such as heart disease or diabetes, and chronicle their progress as they adopt a plant-based diet. It also features appearances by many renowned experts and advocates for a vegan diet: Dr. Neil Barnard (President of Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine); Connie B. Diekman (former President of the American Dietetic Association); Dr. John McDougall (founder of Dr. McDougall’s Health and Medical Center and author of The McDougall Plan
); Gene Baur (founder of Farm Sanctuary); and many more. If you were inspired by The China Study
or are curious to know more about the findings of these two remarkable researchers, be sure to watch this important film that will, no doubt, spark lively discussions about what is the best way to nourish our bodies and minds—and preserve healthy future generations. The movie will be released on May 6th (May 20th in Toronto and Vancouver).
For more information, check out the film’s website, at www.forksoverknives.com
Related post: 'Forks Over Knives' successfully portrays the benefits of a plant-based diet
Ricki Heller, PhD, RHN | @RickiHellerFormerly the owner of a vegan bakery, Ricki adapted those recipes for her cookbook, Sweet Freedom: Desserts You'll Love without Wheat, Eggs, Dairy or Refined Sugar. She also writes articles about food for various publications and online sites. Find Ricki posting delicious, healthy recipes on her blog, Diet, Dessert and Dogs.
Photo credit: Forks Over Knives
