Anywho, one of my current obsessions is health documentaries. I believe I have seen nearly everyone on Netflix (minus Food Inc. and GMO OMG. If you have seen any of these, please feel free to leave your opinion of them in the comments!)
I believe a MAJOR part of losing weight and getting healthy is educating yourself on your body. It's so much more than cutting out junk food and riding your bike to work, although these are great! So people average people who know nothing about health believe that a healthy diet is all about cutting out bad stuff, but they forget that they must be adding good stuff.
(Speaking of which, I heard this idea that there is no such thing as bad food or good food. Just food that is more nutritious for you. When you have it in your head that food is bad for you, it can lead to shame and some times even eating disorders.)
But the question is always where to start? There is so much information out there with many conflicting ideas- this can make it hard when you are sincere about a healthy lifestyle and are willing to start from square one and take it slow.
A great step would to be to see a nutritionist, personal trainer, or physician. Which is great for people with the $$$. I also think it's super silly that we need to pay to find this information! For the rest of us, we must take advantage of our free resources. It's a little more difficult and time consuming, but the information is out there! You must be diligent in seeking it if you truly LOVE your body <3
So the first step I recommend is to watch documentaries. Now these are almost always slanted toward one way, but the more you watch, the more well rounded you can be. I wanted to take some time and fill you in on some of my favorites from Netflix. Here's my first list-type blog. Let me know what you think, and I'd love to hear your own feedback on the films and your own suggestions.
6. Vegucated!
Basically, this is a pro-veganism animal rights documentary. It follows 3 different people of age and background in New York, who were challenged by Marisa Miller Wolfson to agree to take part in a 100% vegan diet for 6 weeks.
What I really appreciated about the film was that she not only challenged and studied these people, but spent 2/3rd of the film educating them. She took them to a physician, to a vegan conference with speakers, gave them cooking lessons, taught them to shop, showed them documentaries on animal cruelty, took them to farms, and offered moral support.
However, I wasn't really a fan of how she spoke very little about health and balance. The doctor spoke of how veganism limits heart disease and weight-loss (which I believe to be true), but when shopping it seemed to turn into: eat whatever you think is vegan. This included Oreos for goodness sakes. This film says absolutely nothing about processed foods. In fact, the man ate a vegan diet for 6 weeks and lost only 5 lbs. The girl only lost 2. This is great that they were moving towards a healthier path, but there is actually something known as a "junk food vegan." These are often times people with moral dilemmas with consuming animal products, but not a whole lot of interest in a healthy body.
Also, the film seemed super against animal consumption, morally. Despite that, however, I did appreciate being educated on the food industry a little bit. I was disturbed by the disgusting cruelty to animals. Nevertheless, I still don't find any wrong with eating animals products if that's your choice. I simply chose not to eat them for health reasons.
I give it a three stars and would watch it again. It was fun and enlightening, but I didn't take away much about health, mostly just veganism.
5. Chew on This: TED Talks
I watched the first episode of them and enjoyed it. It was mostly about food in public school. I found this very interesting as I would one day like to be a mother and I have already been planning on how I will rear them, health being a major staple.
He also speaks on adult health and the need for vegetable consumption. That's the bottom line people. If you want to drop lbs and be healthier, you must consume vegetables more than anything.
The rest of the episodes didn't seem to interest me much, but I'm sure with my information-addittion I'll watch them all.
The speaker was very passionate, charismatic, and well informed. I give it a four stars and would recommend you check it out, especially if you have or want children.
4. Fat Sick, and Nearly Dead
Wow! I love this film! This is about a man who was quite literally fat, sick, and nearly dead. He was an average business man and was really living it up. At one point he gets fed up with a harmful skin condition and seeks to cure himself with juicing. He travels around meeting and interviewing different people about health and and juicing.
What I love is that he shows us that juicing is not quite and difficult and extreme and it's made out to be. He was certainly no health guru and was able to do a 60 day juice-fast! Wow!
Although a little cheesy at some points, it's a great film and really makes you feel motivated to try juicing (it certainly motivated me), it reminds you that healthy is not just for the rich man. Anyone can do it :)
Four stars and a must see!
3. Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead 2
Once you watch the first, you gotta do the second. The first film is about getting juiced, changing your lifestyle, an dropping lbs. This film is about sustaining. Joe was able to drop a lot of weight but keeping it off was also difficult. This film is far more jam packed with helpful information and health and ways people stay healthy, and who aren't just looking for a momentary fix.
I appreciated this film far more than the first, but you can't watch this one until you watch the first one. With that being said, it's a four and a half stars and also a must see.
2. Forks Over Knives
This one was recommended to me by my boyfriends sister who is a mostly vegan. She shared it with me after I told her I was also vegan. The first time I had met her I was doing Paleo and she was thrilled to hear that I had cut red meat. (I was too!). I finally got around to watching it and I realllllly liked it. SO much helpful information not just on getting healthy but information on general health as far as disease and prevention.
We get some insight on the "most comprehensive study of nutrition ever conducted." This study takes place over at least a decade and over thousands of people. The information is very well presented and quite convincing.
I will say it is pro-veganism, but even if you're not vegan I still highly recommend it. I love how it addresses heart disease, diabetes, and how one can cure themselves of several other types of diseases by simply changing their diet and nixing the pills.
This is a five stars, easy!
1. Hungry For Change
By far, my favorite documentary out of them all. This was my very fist one I watched and it's a huge motivator for staring my journey almost a year ago. In fact, I watch it several times within the first few months when I needed motivation.
The best idea it take out of this is the idea that as Americans we are overeating but finding a way to starve ourselves of nutrients. We focus too much on cutting and not enough on adding. They touch on ideas about juicing, veganism, and all the wonderful things that come with a lifestyle change including weight loss, looking younger, more energy, and curing diseases.
It's super easy to understand and they have many experts speaking and lots of helpful ideas.
If you only watch one health documentary in your life, make it this one. It changed my life!
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I hope this list helped. Educating myself on the human body and what it needs it what helped lead to my success. As of today, I have lost 90 lbs and I am still searching for more education. Never stop the journey to learn more, and never stop trying to eat better and exercise. It might not work out int the beginning, but the longer you do it, the more trial and error you have.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
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