We have said many times that waiting until you are sick or unhealthy to make changes in your life is not the way to live. It is best to try and live a healthier lifestyle in order to prevent yourself from becoming sick. Could people live healthier lives, free of medications, if they ate healthy, plant-based diets? Would the world be a better place if people stopped consuming factory-farmed meat, dairy, poultry, and eggs? These are a couple questions that the documentary, What the Health, focuses on.
In this documentary, Kip Anderson attempts to inform people about the dangers of eating meat. This isn’t Anderson’s first outing in this field, though. His previous film, Cowspiracy, showcased how eating animal products negatively harms the environment. He sort of picks up where he left off, but pries companies like the American Heart Association (AHA), the American Diabetes Association (ADA), and the American Cancer Society (ACS) to figure out how they can recommend meals that contain animal products, when animal products are causing the diseases they are attempting to fight.
Anderson presents a lot of research that points to the dangers of an animal-based diet and backs it up with doctoral interviews. Using various information from different studies, Anderson works to point out the fact that companies like the ADA, ACS, and AHA suggest to eat animal products on their websites because they receive funding from fast food industries, meat companies, and dairy industry tycoons, among others. This speaks to Anderson’s theory that the government is trying to make you sick.
One of our favorite pieces of information in the documentary is that type 2 diabetes is not caused by eating sugar and carbs. Type 2 diabetes is caused by eating unhealthy fatty foods that make it hard for your body to regulate blood sugar. And they make the clarification that type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease, manifesting differently than type 2.
What is the takeaway from What the Health? It basically says that the solution to a healthy body, environment, and future is going vegan, but it does not explain how to transition into a plant-based diet and lifestyle. Not everyone knows what foods to buy or what to make. You can eat plant-based and still be unhealthy. You could only eat French fries, baked potatoes, carrots, and tons of processed foods and still consider yourself a vegan. This movie will definitely get you interested in learning more about plant-based diets, but we hope our readers will do research before jumping “all in” to a vegan or vegetarian diet. Here are some tips to help you transition into a healthier diet.
One of the easiest things you can do to start a transition is to adopt a “Meatless Monday” ritual. Focus on eating nothing but fruits, vegetables, and legumes that day. You can also try to do half the week without meat or animal products and see the difference in how good your body feels when those things aren’t in your daily diet.
You don’t need meat, dairy, or eggs to get protein. The protein you get from animals is essentially recycled. Go straight for the source by eating leafy greens, nuts and seeds, beans, and sprouts. Check out our article about plant-based protein sources here.
Try participating in the Full Body Cleanse. It is a dramatic change from what most people are used to, but it can show you how different fruits and vegetables benefit your body. When you are feeling better, it makes you want to continue on a healthier path. Just remember one thing: Nothing tastes as good as healthy feels.
All in all, we do recommend watching this documentary because it does give you a chance to see behind the smoke and mirrors and get a feel for exactly where some of our so-called food supply comes from.
Vincent Stevens is the senior content writer at Dherbs. As a fitness and health and wellness enthusiast, he enjoys covering a variety of topics, including the latest health, fitness, beauty, and lifestyle trends. His goal is to inform people of different ways they can improve their overall health, which aligns with Dherbs’ core values. He received his bachelor’s degree in creative writing from the University of Redlands, graduating summa cum laude. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.
