I think these documentaries are discouraging...

jocelyne17
jocelyne17 Posts: 20 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I started watching all the food documentaries my sister and friends suggested about what America eats, and as motivated and inspiring as they were, it also made me kind of paranoid and sad. I was making a veggie omelette this morning, and while there was probably 8lbs of brocoli, spinach, peppers, etc in there, I wanted to add a tbsp of milk to my egg mix and I kept thinking about all the "hormones, puss and blood" *shudders*. I was eating and squirming at the same time. Then I didn't want to eat my eggs. And after I watched the entire thing, I started feeling like if I don't do what the documentary says, I'll keep having these toxin making me unhealthy and unhappy and FAT!!!!

Does anyone else feel this way? Do you ever feel like not following advice or facts will just lead you to failure?

Replies

  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
    They're all mostly dogma and propaganda.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,409 Member
    Yeah, steer clear of those Netflix documentaries, they are always one-sided and meant to incite even more hysteria over foods.

    That's one thing I really don't like about Netflix - it is a market for every crazy documentary and movie ever made, and who couldn't find advertisers in the regular market....hm....wonder why?
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    Stop watching documentaries. The majority are just crap to promote someone's crazy agenda.
  • derekj222
    derekj222 Posts: 370 Member
    Great 4-hour HBO documentary about obesity: Weight of the Nation....its free on HBO.com
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    Stop watching documentaries. The majority are just crap to promote someone's crazy agenda.

    ^ This
  • ChitownFoodie
    ChitownFoodie Posts: 1,562 Member
    Then you never want to watch The Secret Life of Plants. Apparently, plants have feelings.

    http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/the-secret-life-of-plants/
  • RaeLB
    RaeLB Posts: 1,216 Member
    Actually there is a lot of truth to many of them.
    (But personally I am more worried about the treatment of the animals).

    People don't want to see those things because it makes them uncomfortable. I think the feelings you are having aren't necessarily a bad thing. It is important to be educated about our food systems, something that is meant to be kept veiled. Ignorance may be blissful but it isn't a good thing.

    Questioning what you put in your body is a good. Paranoia is not though. It is good to educate yourself and make the best choices you can in your circumstance and be satisfied in that.
  • JezzD1
    JezzD1 Posts: 431
    Really want to freak yourself out? after you watch all those documentaries look up conspiracy theories on U tube. :bigsmile:
  • Bobby__Clerici
    Bobby__Clerici Posts: 741 Member
    I feel you.
    The food industry has demineralized nearly everything, because it increases profits.
    I was much happier ignorant...:bigsmile:
    My ideal are whole foods: lean meats, fresh fruits and veggies, low fat dairy, whole grains and nuts. I supplement fiber, protein and muti-vitamins with a 16 ounce glass of fresh juice every day.
    That's my best, and I refuse to go nuts worrying about all i hear in these documentaries.
  • IrishHarpy1
    IrishHarpy1 Posts: 399 Member
    And then when you're done with the documentaries and YouTube videos, here's a bit of light reading for you:

    http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/GuidanceDocuments/Sanitation/ucm056174.htm#CHPT1

    Impurities are *unavoidable* unless you live in a completely sanitized environment, so it's best not to worry about them and just eat.
  • sunsnstatheart
    sunsnstatheart Posts: 2,544 Member
    Definitely do not rely on movies or "documentaries" for your health information. You might as well sell all your worldly possessions and join a cult that likes to serve Cool-Aid to its guests in Guyana.
  • bootsandfros
    bootsandfros Posts: 81 Member
    what i know is that when i eat good i feel good. when i eat crap that's exactly how i feel...like crap. i don't need a documentary to tell me that. go with what works for you. everybody is different but eating poorly has gotten me to this point.

    i've seen a lot of those documentaries and i get it. the best thing you can do is educate yourself on things that you are putting into your body. i've also read eat to live and i'm about the read the china study.
  • Athijade
    Athijade Posts: 3,300 Member
    They're all mostly dogma and propaganda.

    This... about 99.9% of documentaries will not look at both sides of a topic. They won't give you ALL of the information available. They are out to sell a SPECIFIC idea or product. You will only hear what they want you to hear. As such, it will be necessary to do your own research to find out all sides of the story instead of just accepting what the documentary is pushing.
  • Espressocycle
    Espressocycle Posts: 2,245 Member
    Most of these documentaries are entertainment at best. Eating a balanced diet is lousy television.
  • etoiles_argentees
    etoiles_argentees Posts: 2,827 Member
    This is the only one I find interesting.
    http://youtu.be/jPsKpnu0-X4
  • dsjohndrow
    dsjohndrow Posts: 1,820 Member
    The body is quite capable of detoxifying itself under most circumstances. However; it is not unwise to eat organic foods because some toxins are not easily for the body to get rid of; like mercury!

    There are always two sides to every story, but most research IS funded by the food/drug/diet companies. For example, there is proof that coffee exacerbate certain illnesses, and may be linked to some types of cancer. There is also research to suggest that some coffee reduces the risk of certain types of cancer. It is well noted that may refined products are not healthy in terms of weight loss. There are others that increase the risks of cancer.

    So, my take is this. I eat as much as I can the is unprocessed and organically grown. I am not fond of pesticides, hormones etc. I mean for God's sake if it makes a cow fat and does not leave the food in preparation, why wouldn't it make you fat?

    Some of this is really common sense.
  • oregonzoo
    oregonzoo Posts: 4,251 Member
    I am a documentary addict. BUT I refuse to watch any on the food industry.

    I do the best I can shopping for the healthiest food I can. I don't need to be any more paranoid than I am.
  • misskerouac
    misskerouac Posts: 2,242 Member
    I think you just have to be able to filter out what's important out of those documentaries and take a few small lessons from each.

    I buy local when I can, try to have at least one meatless dinner a week, use my own bags, recycle what comes in packages, and so on. It's all about making small changes not watching a documentary and then being like "Now I have to be a vegan who grows their own vegetables and only uses solar energy to cook"
  • k8blujay2
    k8blujay2 Posts: 4,941 Member
    Here is a simple solution.... don't watch them. The directors often depict a whole industry as the worst of the worst... which is of course only what they show.

    It's a lot of the reason why I stay away from "Skinny *****es" and Food, inc.

    I have enough paranoia coming from my friends and family... I don't know more coming from a biased author/director.
  • BogQueen1
    BogQueen1 Posts: 320 Member
    Well. Considering how people used to have to eat, at least those people who didn't have tons of money to burn (and by used to, I'm refering to like... medieval times)..... well..... there's a reason that there's a cheese down in mexico that is created by infesting it with maggots. People used to have to eat food we would consider unacceptable. Heck, we are so sanitized in America, we refuse to eat bugs and entrails, protein sources that have sustained humanity for a long time, and organ meats used to be highly prized for their richness.

    Call it a first world problem. Is there possibly blood in your milk? Yes. Will it kill you? Highly unlikely. Pasteurization, homogenization, and refrigeration have made most of our food worries a thing of the past. And the rest can be taken care of with a good solid 'cook to an appropriate temperature'. There's a world of difference between unappetizing and dangerous.
  • deb3129
    deb3129 Posts: 1,294 Member
    I watched all those food documentaries around the time I decided it was time to do something about my health, and then I did a lot of research about what they were saying. It led to me adopting a plant based, whole foods diet and losing 115 pounds. I think that if you are going to follow the advice in them, then watch. If not, then stop watching so it dose not depress you. Will the pus in the milk kill you?? Prolly not. But it is still gross, and fruits and veggies definitely are not killing people.. except on the occasions when they are contaminated with E. Coli or Salmonella from animal sources.
  • imfivebyfive
    imfivebyfive Posts: 104
    The documentaries are simply stating what should be obvious. Our bodies were not made to process factory farmed, hormone and chemical engineered foods. Processed foods are literally killing people from obesity and other conditions that can result. In addition they are engineered to promote addictive responses in people through the artificial additives and taste enhancers which are tested in labs before it ever hits the shelves.

    Food that doesn't nourish you or fill you up and thus leaves your body craving more a few hours later is the perfect marketing dream come true.

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