I would give this documentary an 8/10 largely due to the fact that is very informative. As the documentary notes, over the last 20 years, health of Americans has been declining rapidly. Things like obesity, clogged arteries, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar have become the norm and it is largely due to our diets. Through the analogs of many different "average" people this documentary paints a vivid picture of how nutrition, or eating nutritiously, can change your life. One particular case that stands out to me is how a middle aged woman who was deemed legally disabled with MS, changed her diet, and is now driving a car.
The documentary also illustrates how medical professionals are not taught about nutrition. In medical school, nutrition is only a four hour topic! In today's society, as the documentary claims, medical professionals are so quick to diagnose and prescribe a drug for the fix. However, in actuality often one drug becomes two and two becomes three and before you know it the patient is taking a laundry list of drugs to combat their sickness. The documentary does a great job at displaying how although drugs are sometimes a crucial option, diet can play a huge part in one's health and curing one's sickness both physically and mentally. Physician Terry Wahl claims that physicians get nervous when one simple solution cures many disease states but it turns out that a nutrient based diet filled with lots of vegetables get rid of the toxic stuff and is the simplest solution for nearly every chronic disease. It may not cure you but it will help symptoms and reduce the need for meds.
From a food science and engineering perspective, our bodies naturally programmed to eat and build bacteria that combats illness. When we stop eating vegetables and increase the consumption of sugar and white flour we are decreasing the fiber content that we used to have and therefore starving the health promoting bacteria. By doing this we are ridding of our disease resistant body and creating one that is disease prone. Also, the microorganisms that live within our body account for 10 times more than cells alone. As PHD Sarah Ballantyne notes our body has a symbiotic relationship with these microorganisms. She states that we provide a home for these microorganisms and they directly influence our health. She also says that the key to being healthy is having a diverse and balanced microbiome by having good microorganisms living there. Our diets in particular allow bad microorganisms to live within our body which leaves us very disease prone. I guess moral of the story is what our parents used to tell when we were little - too much of anything is not good for you and eat your vegetables!
The documentary also illustrates how medical professionals are not taught about nutrition. In medical school, nutrition is only a four hour topic! In today's society, as the documentary claims, medical professionals are so quick to diagnose and prescribe a drug for the fix. However, in actuality often one drug becomes two and two becomes three and before you know it the patient is taking a laundry list of drugs to combat their sickness. The documentary does a great job at displaying how although drugs are sometimes a crucial option, diet can play a huge part in one's health and curing one's sickness both physically and mentally. Physician Terry Wahl claims that physicians get nervous when one simple solution cures many disease states but it turns out that a nutrient based diet filled with lots of vegetables get rid of the toxic stuff and is the simplest solution for nearly every chronic disease. It may not cure you but it will help symptoms and reduce the need for meds.
From a food science and engineering perspective, our bodies naturally programmed to eat and build bacteria that combats illness. When we stop eating vegetables and increase the consumption of sugar and white flour we are decreasing the fiber content that we used to have and therefore starving the health promoting bacteria. By doing this we are ridding of our disease resistant body and creating one that is disease prone. Also, the microorganisms that live within our body account for 10 times more than cells alone. As PHD Sarah Ballantyne notes our body has a symbiotic relationship with these microorganisms. She states that we provide a home for these microorganisms and they directly influence our health. She also says that the key to being healthy is having a diverse and balanced microbiome by having good microorganisms living there. Our diets in particular allow bad microorganisms to live within our body which leaves us very disease prone. I guess moral of the story is what our parents used to tell when we were little - too much of anything is not good for you and eat your vegetables!
