Forks over Knives?

jesseylou22
jesseylou22 Posts: 51
edited November 9 in Food and Nutrition
Has anyone watched the documentary Forks over Knives? If so, I am interested in knowing what you think of it? Also, of suggestions and recipes for this type of eating lifestyle! If anyone would like to know more about it its at forksoverknives.com.

Replies

  • brazenhazen
    brazenhazen Posts: 4 Member
    Yes. I watched the movie last week. From someone who was purposely on a high protein diet it was a bit of an eye opener. I don't know if being vegan, but I made instant changes in my diet.
  • CodyRSweet
    CodyRSweet Posts: 9 Member
    Where did you rent it from?
  • On netflix, and they also have a website.
  • tjalred
    tjalred Posts: 21 Member
    I have watched it a couple of times and recommend it to all of my SAD friends. I think it is an incredible eye opener for people that consume large amounts of animal protein. I instant view it on Netflix. :)
  • NaturalinCO
    NaturalinCO Posts: 164 Member
    I saw it a little while ago and really do believe we should all increase our whole foods intake. Even if we don't stop eating meat or whatever it may be that you're eating too much of that isn't from the ground, I really think eating MORE whole foods will help lessen our appetite for the stuff we shouldn't eat so much of. When I went vegan I couldn't sustain it, but I felt GREAT those 2 wks lol. Going veg/pescatarian has helped my energy level and I just feel better - which was my goal when I started 2 yrs ago.
  • nahralynn
    nahralynn Posts: 125 Member
    My boyfriend and I are taking the Engine 2 (diet from the doctors son, Rip) 28 day challenge to try it out and see how we feel at the end of the month. For us it's about low cost since meat is expensive and lowering cholesterol, bp, and getting myself to a healthier position. I think all the fiber will do me good to clear out my system if this isn't a good match for us .. and if it is .. then it's a good way to start :)

    If you decide to start send me a friend request!
  • gingerb85
    gingerb85 Posts: 357 Member
    I saw it a few months ago. I thought it was very good. I have been vegan for over two years and have lowered my cholesterol, reversed my anemia, and feel great!

    That are loads of plant-based recipes and recipe blogs all over the 'net. Some of my favorites are The Fat Free Vegan Kitchen and Peas and Thank You.
  • I thought it was good, but I would have liked a little more of the science: what actually makes plant protein so much better than lean animal protein? I'm already a veg, but would just like to know more of the scientific reasoning for the health claims. Much of their data is observational, not experimental, but it is probably very difficult to get any experimental data on human patients. Dr. Esselstyn (the Cleveland Clinic guy) was on NPR talking about his program, and he stressed very strongly that people should not eat ANY added oil/fat. I don't remember this point being discussed very much in the movie. He said it wasn't enough to be vegan; his patients are not allowed to eat any olive oil, avocados, nuts, etc. I thought that point was very interesting, since so many people in these forums insist that people must add fat to their diets. He says absolutely not, and all of the 30 or so chronic patients in his study either stopped the progression of their heart disease or even reversed it on his diet. He has a book that includes recipes; it might explain a little more of the science than could fit in the documentary. I've thought of checking it out.
  • GoodMorningGirl
    GoodMorningGirl Posts: 103 Member
    I loved Forks Over Knives, but what convinced me to become vegan was the fact that our standard diet now is not sustainable in the long run. We are using too many resources and polluting the earth to grow animals to eat when we could feed many more people by eating plants. Not only that, but factory farms are breeding grounds for super viruses, antibiotic resistance, and other growing health concerns. Forks Over Knives concentrated soley on the health aspect of a plant-based diet.
  • ElPumaMex
    ElPumaMex Posts: 367 Member
    I thought it was good, but I would have liked a little more of the science: what actually makes plant protein so much better than lean animal protein? I'm already a veg, but would just like to know more of the scientific reasoning for the health claims. Much of their data is observational, not experimental, but it is probably very difficult to get any experimental data on human patients. Dr. Esselstyn (the Cleveland Clinic guy) was on NPR talking about his program, and he stressed very strongly that people should not eat ANY added oil/fat. I don't remember this point being discussed very much in the movie. He said it wasn't enough to be vegan; his patients are not allowed to eat any olive oil, avocados, nuts, etc. I thought that point was very interesting, since so many people in these forums insist that people must add fat to their diets. He says absolutely not, and all of the 30 or so chronic patients in his study either stopped the progression of their heart disease or even reversed it on his diet. He has a book that includes recipes; it might explain a little more of the science than could fit in the documentary. I've thought of checking it out.

    I don't believe that Dr included avocados, nuts as part of the "no oils".
    He is talking about the oils you add to food.

    This is an excerpt from his website's Q&A:
    http://www.heartattackproof.com/qanda.htm

    4. Why does the diet eliminate oil entirely?

    NO OIL! Not even olive oil, which goes against a lot of other advice out there about so-called good fats. The reality is that oils are extremely low in terms of nutritive value. They contain no fiber, no minerals and are 100% fat calories. And above all they contain saturated fat which immediately injures the endothelial lining of the arteries when eaten. It doesn't matter whether it's olive oil, corn oil, or any other kind of oil. You should not consume any oil if you have heart disease. This is so important I have detailed oil in Chapter 10.
  • I watched the movie in November and we transitioned to a plant-strong eating plan the majority of the time, however, still would go off of it to go to restaurants, special occasions, travel. My husband and I feel much better when we are mostly compliant with vegan style of eating. I was quite surprised how easy it was to cook and eat this way. Even our boys - who are 11 and 16 are enjoying our meals, except the 16 yr old still wants pizza and hamburgers occasionally. I just started MFP this week to start keeping track of my calories because I was not losing weight the way I thought I would be and I have a lot to lose. This week, I have cut down on the amt of starchy carbs like potatotes, rice, beans so I can evaluate if I lose weight now.

    I have purchased some vegan cookbooks, but there are some great internet sources for recipes. A couple of my favorites are:
    www.happyherbivore.com
    www.http://healthygirlskitchen.blogspot.com
    www.myvegancookbook.com
  • Daz999
    Daz999 Posts: 19 Member
    I finally watched it. I'm a vegetarian (I don't eat dairy, but do occasionally eat eggs from the chickens in my backyard)
    As much as I want there to be evidence that animal protein will cause cancer and it's absence will stop it, I don't see it.
    Dr. Campbell's use of the Indian paper to promote vegetable protein is not logical (read the paper). The data from the war time diet of Nazi occupied countries is also not convincing (Its a bad experiment with no control and the timing is off).

    While I 'feel' that a veg*n diet is best for me, I still haven't found verifiable evidence that it is better than a more 'balanced' diet.
    Of course, I am not a vegetarian solely for the health benefits.
    We need some well designed human trials to really see what's what. Even a comprehensive survey would be a start.

    That being said, I liked this documentary much better than "Food Matters"
    I'm not looking for a reason to have a coffee enema, thank you very much.

    And... "Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead" was just a very long juicer commercial. I do like to watch fat people losing weight so not a total loss.

    Daz "looking for good science" Jones
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