If you haven't heard of the Forks Over Knives documentary, then you are really missing out! This brand new film explores some of the most important topics of health in the United States today. I just watched the film today and I must say it really moved me. The information provided in the film wasn't out of reach or out of touch but was really connected with reality. In fact, one of the examples given of a bad diet is one that would fit in with the USDA recommendations for nutrition and most people probably would eat on any given day. So what is it all about anyway?

Forks Over Knives is a 'filmumentary' in that it presents a LOT of data about health, nutrition and disease but at the same time isn't at all boring or overly statistical. The authors did a great job of making it easy to understand very complex statistics through simple graphs and charts, 3D graphics and plain English explanations. I had no trouble understanding any of the information, even though it is very much scientific and thoroughly researched. When you first start to watch Forks Over Knives you don't get the feeling that your being taught anything or that your life may change. What you do experience is a kind of euphoria that someone finally is able to explain why we have so many diseases. They even offer a solution!

When I sat down to watch Forks Over Knives I half expected to be a little bored because I've 'read the book'. Yes, you know the feeling of superiority you feel when you read the book before the movie comes out. Well, I got a surprise because even though I had read the book (Actually two books by each of the Dr.'s in the film. Caldwell Esselstyn wrote Prevent And Reverse Heart Disease. Colin Campbell wrote The China Study.) I was not disappointed or bored at all with any part of Forks Over Knives. As a person who has read a pretty good amount of material about nutrition I was delighted to see some of my favorite authors featured in the film. To me this sends a strong message that they weren't fooling around but are very serious about telling the whole story, from the beginning to the end.

Forks Over Knives does start at the beginning quoting Hippocrates and Thomas Edison, among many others on the subject. There are so many great examples of studying health from history whether it be via accident (affects of war on nutrition) or controlled study (feeding rats in a lab). The featured doctors even share their life stories with us in Forks Over Knives, chronicling how they themselves began their careers 'blinded' by common understandings about nutrition and how they eventually came to the same conclusion, independently.

Forks Over Knives is not the be-all, end-all authority on nutrition, but for a layperson like myself it really did open my eyes to what is happening within my body and what I need to put into it for optimum health. There isn't even a 'call to action' in the film. I believe that the information itself is so powerful that you'll want to make changes just to reap the wonderful benefits!

I loved this film, and I hope you will spend the 96 minutes it takes to watch it. You won't lose anything by skipping your favorite sitcom but you will gain a treasure trove of knowledge about why putting Forks Over Knives puts the plate before the scalpel.