I had been hearing about this documentary and have been wanting to watch it, but just haven’t made the time to do so.  It’s free for viewing on hulu which is where I watched it.  There are commercials here and there, but still worth it!

My husband and I watched it together and we have mixed feelings about it.  I feel like there is valid content and that the argument that’s made is great, but I feel like there are cons about it as well.

The basic premise is that by eating a plant based diet optimum health can be obtained.  They advise to remove diary,l meat and eggs, but grains are allowed.  The documentary profiles different people with end stages of cancer and heart disease and by being put on a strict plant based diet their diseases all halted and some reversed; cardiac health improved and cancer was in ‘spontaneous remission”.

Granted, I definitely agree that there are benefits and that this diet was beneficial for these patients.  I think there are merits to the studies they conducted and there are things to evaluate based on the results.

However…

As many of you know I’m a big fan of Sally Fallon ([amazon_link id=”0967089735″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Nourishing Traditions[/amazon_link]/Weston A Price) and the paleo diet which is almost the opposite of what this documentary promotes! Both Weston A Price and Paleo or Primal recommend high quality meats and eggs (grass fed and finished, free range, organic) and Weston A Price recommends raw, grass fed, organic dairy.

Forks over Knives doesn’t address the quality of the foods being consumed and this I feel is their biggest flaw in the study.  I know you can’t include all variables, but this would definitely be something that should be addressed in future studies or at least considered.  I totally agree that traditional meats and dairy are cancer to the body.  The way they have been altered, aren’t in their natural form and overly processed.

In conclusion, I was re-energized to include more plant foods into our diet.  I also would like to do some more research on diary.  I also stick to the fact that they way our ancestors ate is the way I want to eat, especially since there wasn’t anything like heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and cancer. Just living by this motto it would encourage natural/organic foods and avoiding the processed foods that are new to our society.

PLEASE … watch Forks over Knives for yourself and let me know what you think!  I’d LOVE to know!