Forks over Knives - Pondering Vegan?

Sure, a diet of unprocessed plant food can bring huge health improvements to people who were formerly eating high cal, low nutrient crap. Especially in the short run. BUT the success is attributed to eliminating all animal foods. Think logically-these people are eating less and eating better, so they're going to lose weight and feel better. Just because their diet is restricted to plants doesn't mean its the animal food that was causing the problems. If there was a control group that ate less, better quality animal products in a balanced diet, then we might be able to come to some conclusions. But there isn't.

Eating a HEALTHY vegan diet can help people with health problems like high cholesterol in some cases. Sure it's 100% possible to be unhealthy and vegan and have a diet high in processed foods, but that's about any diet.

Wouldn't you agree, if done correctly, a vegan diet can be healthful?

I would definitely agree. A vegan diet has the potential to be very healthy. However, I also believe a diet with a reasonable amount of lean meat and fish can be just as healthy. I haven't seen anything to prove otherwise.

I don't think anyone is making the argument that it isn't healthy. I'm not sure if you've seen forks over knives but they emphasize that excessive dairy/meat can lead to health issues, not in small amounts.

I would definitely agree. A vegan diet has the potential to be very healthy. However, I also believe a diet with a reasonable amount of lean meat and fish can be just as healthy. I haven't seen anything to prove otherwise.

I don't think anyone is making the argument that it isn't healthy. I'm not sure if you've seen forks over knives but they emphasize that excessive dairy/meat can lead to health issues, not in small amounts.

I have. It's been a while, but when I saw it, I felt there was such a strong push for "plant-based" diets that they neglected to say how meat can be successfully incorporated into a diet. For instance, I didn't hear anything about the benefits of eating fish. Instead, the film seemed to vilify animal products in general, such as in its description of cholesterol, which, by the way, made me cringe after taking biochem. So inaccurate.

Well if you recall they were mostly talking about the typical American diet which is probably higher than it should be in processed foods and animal foods. I doubt our ancestors ate the same quantity of animal foods Americans do and surely not hormone injected,genetically engineered food. They also weren't pushing an unhealthy vegan diet. Intact in their meat exp. The rats weren't deprived of it completely, they just ate a smaller amount. But I say if this movie helps people Make some changes to their diet that is beneficial to their health its a good thing. So what if its going vegetarian, vegan or just cutting down on animal foods? Its not like they are saying vegan is the absolute, end all, only way to be healthy.

A well-respected author on food topics, Michael Pollan, has a book entitled "In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto". The introduction begins... Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.

The author criticizes the Western diet and its focus on nutrients instead of foods. The book holds promise for those of us hoping to lose weight. (I should read my copy.)

I'm vegetarian struggling to be vegan for the sake of my health and the environment. Ooops! Just opened another can of worms.

Oh, and also check out gerson dot org. This man was a scientist and advocate of a vegan diet back in the 20's for health reasons due to his studies.

I haven't seen the movie (yet) but my two daughters were vegan as teens & the oldest (a bit over 30 now) still is, mostly (I think she eats some sushi once in awhile), the other is vegetarian, but not strict.

Anyway, as a result, I have a lot of knowledge somewhere deep in this brain of mine, but it's taken until now to make a firm decision to change my diet this way. I have fibromyalgia, and have been suffering something awful this year - well, at my last visit w/my doctor (mainline Mass General old time doctor, mind you) recommend that I try a vegan diet to alleviate my pain!

Was like a light bulb going off - of course! Last year I was very dedicated to losing weight, and I ate mostly greens, as many raw veggies as possible, fruits, with occasional chicken breast (fish was too expensive for me). This year I got lazy about shopping, and there has been more meat in our diet. Even my son, who lives w/me, found an immediate change in his health after starting on lots of greens.

Anyway - wanted to say that hearing that your sleep improved is very hopeful for me - both my son & I have terrible time w/our sleep patterns - and this is connected to fibro. I totally relate to not feeling heavy eating like this - I weakened yesterday and my stomach spent the WHOLE day trying to digest the sandwich I ate!

My dr recommended fish or chicken 1X a wk, but seriously, that's not something I will miss too much (except when I'm lazy, lol). It's cheese - man, I LOVE cheese, so I am going to try to do some of the nut butter 'cheeses' like Dr. Cow (which, I hear is VERY expensive).

I watched it and then went pescatarian. I don't want to go full vegan because it seems like a PITA. But, vegetarian seems pretty easy, especially allowing fish. I don't know where to point you. I'm just letting you know that I made the leap after seeing that movie. I also think the movie has some controversy. Like anything "study", there's always things they leave out. Some of their data was subject to criticism, and you can google it. But, there's always haters, no matter what the situation.

I haven't really noticed anything or much difference except that I never feel heavy anymore. After a meal, you feel light, but full. I like it. It takes some getting used to.

One thing is, I sleep better at night. I used to be a horrible sleeper. Now, my sleep has improved a lot.

I feel like I am a little late to the party but here is my two cents. I first saw the movie about a year ago and immediately wanted to become a vegan. I was talked out of it by my (mostly) vegetarian husband so I became a vegetarian. At the end of July I saw the movie again and decided I was going to do it for real this time. I ordered Dr Fuhrman's Eat to Live book and became a vegan as of August 1st. My recommendation to you is to try it for four to six weeks and see how you feel. That is really the only way that you will now if it is the right diet for you.