Friday, December 17, 2010

'Eating' and 'Food Matters' for Good Health

"Eating" (DVD cover at left) makes a persuasive argument for a plant-based rather than a meat-based diet. Photo from http://www.ravediet.com/.

HEAD’S UP: December again already. It’s the gifting season, which means more things to do with less time to do them in. Don’t despair. At VEVLYN’S PEN, we are here to help. For the next week or so — 12 days before Christmas ending on 22 Dec. — each day we will introduce a product/item, brand or nifty shop that we believe is worthy of consideration for those very special gifts.

Gift Idea No. 7:

Q: WHY is there an epidemic of heart disease, cancer, diabetes and other diseases in the United States (and increasingly the world over)?

A: We eat too much meat and dairy.

James Colquhoun and Laurentine ten Bosch produced and directed "Food Matters." Photo from http://www.foodmatters.tv/.

Q: Why will following U.S. nutrition guidelines kill you?
A: They are heavy on meat (and light on vegetable) consumption. Meat is high in cholesterol and saturated fats. The two are associated with various illnesses that can lead to death.

Q: How safe is our food?
A: In the United States our food is not safe, particularly meats, because of the conditions in which farm animals are raised, including what they are fed and how they are warehoused.

Q: Why do U.S. doctors – and many in other countries – treat symptoms of disease, not causes?
A: Because they don’t learn about nutrition in medical school. They do, however, learn about prescribing pharmaceutical drugs that treat symptoms rather than causes.

These and other questions are asked and answered in what are considered two of the best documentaries about food in recent years. Available on DVD, both offer useful, shocking and controversial information – from experts who have no profit motive – about how one can eat one’s way to good health and life longevity.

Simply titled “Eating" (3rd Edition; $9.95), the acclaimed film from Mike Anderson makes the case for a plant-based diet to eradicate cardiovascular illnesses in particular. (See an eight-minute trailer: http://www.ravediet.com/preview.html)

"The RAVE Diet & Lifestyle" book offers practical ways to adopt a plant-based diet. Photo from http://www.ravediet.com/.

In “Eating,” MA does a fine job of setting out the problems, which are many, sundry and seemingly insurmountable. Clearly, the medical researcher realized this because he prescribes solutions in the companion piece, “The RAVE Diet & Lifestyle.” ($15.95; http://www.ravediet.com/products.php?cat=8) It includes recipes to get newbies started on the right foot. Indeed, “Eating” and “RAVE” – (no) Refined foods, (no)Animal fats, (no)Vegetable oils, (no)Exceptions and Exercise – are best acquired as a bundle ($19.95; http://www.ravediet.com/products.php?cat=15)

Hoeing similar rows is James Colquhoun and Laurentine ten Bosch’s “Food Matters.” ($24.95; see trailer: http://www.foodmatters.tv/_webapp/View%20Film%20Online) The filmmakers spotlight what they term the trillion dollar worldwide sickness industry and declare that much of what ails us can be cured – not by pharmaceutical drugs – but by proper nutrition, supplements and detoxification. The claim extends to illnesses as serious as terminally diagnosed cancer. For $4.95, "Food Matters" can also be viewed online for three days. (http://www.foodmatters.tv/_webapp/View%20Film%20Online)

Both DVDs are available in several languages aside from English.

"Food Matters" strongly asserts that the cure to illnesses is not in pharmaceutical drugs. Photo from http://www.foodmatters.tv/.

Collectively, the United States is a fat, sick nation – one of the fattest/sickest on the planet. Some by-now familiar, but no more comfortable, statistics from the Centers for Disease Control:

– One in three children is overweight or obese;
– 68 percent of adults are either overweight or obese
– Obesity is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, certain types of cancer, Type 2 diabetes and on and on and on ...

Each year around this time millions begin to reflect on the year coming to a close and the new one about to dawn. No one would argue that a good New Year’s resolution would be to lose weight in a healthy, sustainable and informative way.

“Eating” and “Food Matters” may be too radical for many, especially beef steak and beef burger lovers/fish and fowl fanatics/cheese and Chunky Monkey connoisseurs. Yet, the films contain hefty servings of good, whole food for thought worth considering, especially if it promotes good health and a longer life: lentil steak, eggplant burger, "cheese" sauce, monkey bars.

Q: Who said, “Let thy Food be thy Medicine and thy Medicine be thy Food?”
A: Hippocrates.

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