Why is “What The Health” such an important documentary to watch? and why did I decide to write a What the Health film review?
I wrote my What the Health film review first on Midst of It, Jodi’s and my fitness, food and travel blog. I recently opened my online health marketing business, Ancona Wellness, so I wanted to dig just a little bit further and speak some more about this important and controversial documentary.
Why did I write a¨What the Health¨film review?
My What the Health film review came from a strong feeling that as a health professional it was my duty to share my thoughts on documentaries like “What the Health”. There has been a lot of criticism about this documentary. “What the health” is an eye-opener, I am no conspiracy theorist, but Gary introduces some very valid points about some health organizations’ “conflicts of interest” and these companies not wanting to be open about the correlation between diet and disease. The documentary is brilliantly done and has some striking points, for example; according to the World Cancer Research Fund, eating 50g of processed meat a day (equivalent to one sausage) raises the likelihood of cancer by 20% and furthermore, this sausage is considered a group 1 carcinogen, the same classification as a cigarette. Startling facts like this, with credible sources were the reason that I decided to write my What the Health film review.
Is being vegan better for our health?
If you are thinking of becoming vegan, after watching this movie I am sure you will make this decision. I honestly love vegan food, and I always say the same thing to everyone who asks me if I would consider becoming vegan. My excuse is that I am too lazy to prepare my own yummy vegan food, but assure them that if I had a personal chef that could cook delicious vegan meals for me for the rest of my life, I would sure be vegan. Yes, you can get all your macronutrients from a plant-based diet and you do not need to eat meat to be healthy. It is all about having a proper diet and a nutritionist to guide you through your transition from a meat to a plant-based diet.
One important point is that this movie, What the Health, seems to persuade people to become vegan, and I am not against it. However, I believe that to become vegan you need the assistance of a health professional to create a specific meal plan for you and to help you with the transition. You will require a proper nutritional plan that will not put your health in danger. There is NOTHING wrong either in having a balanced diet where you include meat, include an active lifestyle, and make healthy choices.
Facts mentioned in the “What the Health” Documentary
Some facts mentioned in What the Health are that heart disease is 57% lower in lifelong vegans than in meat eaters, and other studies found that a vegan diet lowers stress and anxiety levels.
I am personally all about credible sources, and get so frustrated when having conversations with people that can’t tell you where they got their valuable information about how “detox and juicing is amazing.”
This movie paid specific attention to finding reliable sources and I appreciated this. When providing interesting facts, the filmmaker would mention where the information was coming from, whether from the University of Harvard, or the CDC and it was great to know all the information had a credible source.
One thing to keep in mind is that just like everything you read, you must be intelligent to process the information. There is no absolute truth, and while I have such a strong scientific health background, I always try to take research, as it is, RESEARCH, something that will always keep improving so, we must stay open to new findings, and read with ease, processing the information carefully.
As a final thought, I want to say that in the U.S.A. alone, diabetes, heart disease and cancer drives a 1.5 trillion dollar industry, where pharmaceutical companies generate their revenue by treating these diseases. I sure hope the future is brighter for new generations, and that we spend this money toward developing prevention mechanism, as unfortunately, it would seem that for the time being, we stay in the reactive instead of moving towards the preventative.
