Are You Going To Eat That?

I had an opportunity to watch a documentary this weekend titled Forks Over Knives. It was produced last year and I had heard nothing about it. It is an in-depth look at diet, nutrition, and the science behind how food effects our bodies.

I like to think I am a fairly health conscious person. I really make an effort to eat and feed my family healthy meals. I live with athletes. Although I don't consider myself an athletic person, I am an active person who exercises regularly to maintain my boyish figure ;) I even completed my first marathon last month, and hope to participate in another one at the end of this month.

Homemade stir fry. A very typical meal at my house.

To very broadly summarize Forks Over Knives, it states that a whole grain plant based diet is superior to any other eating arrangement. I was initially unfazed by this point of view. I have heard it before. Meat is not good for you vs. Not eating meat can leave you protein deficient. Lean meats and low fat dairy is ideal vs. Vegetables and grains can give you what's needed for optimal health.



I have been raised to believe that lean meats and low fat dairy coupled with whole grains and plenty of produce is the best route to a healthy lifestyle. That's what I have always done, and it has been very effective thus far. This documentary totally disrupted my entire view of what optimal health looks like, and made me question if I am doing enough. I now wonder if I am even doing it right!

Smooth with fat free milk, all natural yogurt, frozen fruit, ground flax, no sugar added

The scientific data behind the facts presented were overwhelming and it is forcing me to do further research. I watched multiple people in various stages of poor health completely reverse chronic conditions simply by eating grains and vegetables. I won't attempt to break down the specific findings. Sufficed to say that every rhetorical question that was asked, I answered like a typical health conscious eater. Then, said answers were refuted with quantitative findings.

Here is one of my main problems. Although the documentary didn't specifically use the term "vegetarian", for all intents and purposes that's what this lifestyle seems to amount to. And if I may have you permission to be brutally honest. I have always thought "those people" were just a little bit weird. I group them with other strange crowds that tend to get cultish and annoying about what they do. You know... like Apple/Mac users...and runners. Herein lies my other problem. You see I am a Mac user, and as I previously mentioned, I have started participating in marathons. I just don't know if I can wind up in every assemblage that I have already prejudged as strange, and not end up being a total weirdo! I am feeling very nervous about losing myself. Yet, I know that we all must change as we go through life. It's a very strange juxtaposition, but I will inch forward until I am comfortable making strides with confidence.

I think I do a fairly good job of not throwing the coolness of my technology, or the number of miles I racked up today in other people's faces. And so here is a promise that I will make to those of you who occasionally drop by to read my posts: If I become some type of vegan disciple, I will start a whole different blog for like minded people. I may end up being a high tech, trail blazing, buckwheat pancake with blueberry compote eating maniac. But you'll never know it. When I log onto this blog, I'll keep standing on my soapbox sounding off on the mundane issues of life that I am known and loved (or hated) for.

Love me or hate me. I gotta be me :)