No Impact Man

No Impact Man is a film about Colin Beavan and his family changing their lives for one year to achieve zero impact on the environment. They start with buying local food, walking or biking everywhere, and getting rid of toxic chemicals. They slowly phase in more changes that become more difficult, especially hard when living in an apartment in New York City. They start a worm compost, shut off the electricity, which means no refrigerator, and wash their clothes in the bath tub.

Most of these changes are easier for Colin than his wife, who is reluctant toward these changes. It is interesting to watch how these changes affect two different people and even their daughter. While some of this is easy for most people to implement, it would be a bit difficult to shut off the electricity or wash clothes in the bath tub. The movie is entertaining and serves as a good reminder to be more conscious on how many resources we consume and how much waste we produce.

Check out the movie website at www.noimpactdoc.com

Food Matters

In a continuing journey to educate ourselves about nutrition and eat in a healthy manner, we're always reading a book or watching a movie to both educate and motivate. Yesterday we watched a movie called Food Matters by Producer-Directors James Colquhoun and Laurentine ten Bosch. It's about 80 minutes long and is available from the library or their website, FoodMatters.tv 

The main point I got from the movie was the importance of eating the proper food to provide the necessary nutrition our bodies need. By eating natural foods that are full of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients our bodies will perform better. When we suffer malnutrition, our bodies are more susceptible to viruses and diseases. 

There is discussion in the film about the food and health care system. They argue that the medical field gets paid by treating illness and they don't make money by keeping people healthy. There is also a lack of nutrition education among the general population as well as a large number of doctors. They get in the practice of taking a pill for every sickness.

I found the movie to give good information and provide many reasons to take action against the current health system. Eating natural foods that have not been processed or modified feels like common sense to me. Right now the U.S. population spends a smaller percentage of their income on food than ever in history (less than 10%). Meanwhile, we spend more on health care for issues such as diabetes and heart disease. I'd rather spend more on the best food than going to the doctor. I enjoy eating great food and generally dislike going to the hospital. This is not to dis-credit doctors, they are amazing when it comes to surgery, rehabilitation, and saving lives, etc. The movie is just focusing on the nutrition and disease side.

Super Size Me

Super Size Me was released in 2004 and was directed by Morgan Spurlock. The basic idea was that he would eat McDonald's for 30 days and see what changes occurred to his physical and psychological health. There were additional rules he followed like agreeing to "supersize" the meal if the cashier asked and he did not partake in any physical exercise. The final results were quite surprising, especially for those who know little about nutrition. In one month he managed to gain 24.5 pounds. His psychological health changed as he experienced mood swings. His physical health also suffered.

We first watched Super Size Me when it was released on DVD. I clearly remember after watching the movie that we both felt the need to take a walk. We walked around for about an hour discussing the movie and what we thought about it. We believe this movie is one of the first light-bulbs that went off in our heads, and made us more conscious about what we ate.

We both agree Spurlock was aiming for the shock factor. The idea also seems extreme. Who eats McDonald's for every meal? But if you think about it, many people eat convenience food all day long. How many people do you know that pick up a coffee and pastry in the morning for breakfast? Lunch is usually a fast food restaurant with coworkers because they only have a set amount of time. Dinner might not be picked up from a fast food restaurant but rather frozen pizzas and lasagnas to serve their families at night. It happens every day. People are busy and turning to the most convenient alternatives.

Have you seen this movie? What did you think of it?

Author: Cheryl