Ingredients

Ingredients is a documentary that really touches home with food issues in America. Rather than providing facts about Obesity rates and our food system, it discusses a solution. All of the chefs and farmers featured in this film focus on the simplicity, quality and taste of food. The American mentality is that food is supposed to be quick and cheap. Once we take a step back to look at the consequences of buying “quick and cheap,” we can see that the hidden costs outweigh the cost of buying local foods. There really is no comparison when it comes to nutritional value between organic local foods to those that are shipped halfway across the world. This is a fabulous/ heart-warming documentary that shows how much farmers care about their food and the people that they are feeding.

Food Day- October 24th

Food day is designed to raise awareness and make essential changes in our current food systems.

There are some amazing movements going on at the moment, including the petition for a just and healthy Farm Bill as well as prevention for Junk Food Marketing to kids.

Log on to see how you can get involved with Food Day in California!

http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5902/t/0/blastContent.jsp?email_blast_KEY=1181940

Food Matters- Free online viewing this week only!

http://www.foodmatters.tv/screeningeventcinema

Just got word that a new documentary called food matters is only available for free viewing this week. Will write more feedback when I have finished watching the film, just thought I would share so that you don’t miss out!

Enjoy

180 Degrees South- Mind Blowing

180 Degrees South is a documentary about adventure, fear of the unknown and preservation of nature. If you want to watch a movie with depth and meaning rather than some reality T.V. show, this one is for you!

I would like to elaborate on some key points that were made in the film about our choices as consumers. They make a point that “simplifying one’s life is the hardest thing to do.” I believe this to be true because as society continues to rapidly advance, we all get caught up in commotion and we begin to forget how our behaviors as consumers affects the environment and our health.

“It is easy for us to blindly consume when we don’t see the effect we have on other places.” and “Most damage that is caused by consumers is unintentional.”

The documentary further points out that we can’t take open country (nature that has been untouched) for granted because once it’s gone, it’s gone forever. There is no turning back. This is the reason why we as people need to live with awareness and intention. We need to be knowledgable about where the products we consume come from. We need to know that the people who produce our goods are getting treated and paid fairly. We need to consider the harm we are doing to the planet by choosing products that pollute the are with chemicals. Because when it comes down to it, the environment that we live in, the air that we breathe, directly affects the quality of our health and the quality of life for generations to come.

If we live life with intention then we at least know that we are not doing further harm. If we live life blindly then we are contributing the problem.

 

Edible Education

The first place that comes to mind when we think about educating children is the classroom. In the case of educating children about food, a flashcard or vocabulary test will not be enough. We are talking here about hands on, getting dirty, fun with learning in the garden. School gardens are an excellent way to get children to try new fruits and vegetables. It is the best way to teach children about where their food comes from.

With my passion for promoting health and prevention for Obesity, I have begun to venture down this exciting new path of Edible Education. Please take a couple of minutes to check out this video to gain a better understanding of such an integral part of the future food culture in our country.

Jaime Oliver- Teach every child about food

Jaime Oliver, is a chef from England who is gaining recognition for his Food Revolution in the U.S.

He, along with many other American’s are making strides toward creating a healthier lifestyle for American children. However, bigger changes need to be made in order to make a difference; every individual effort makes a difference. In this TED talk Jaime gives real tangible solutions that can help this country fight against obesity. Some of his recommendations include:

– Change food labeling

– Educate children in school about food

– Teach each child to cook at least 10 quick and healthy meals before they leave high    school. He calls these cooking skills “Life skills”

– Have a food ambassador in every major supermarket  to help people shop and to show them how to cook meals that are quick and tasty.

Jaime is an inspiration to myself and others in the Public Health industry. Take a moment to hear in simple terms what needs to be done in order to make changes in this country.

Killer at Large: Why Obesity is America’s Greatest Threat

“Obesity causes 110,000 American deaths each year and plays a role in one-third of all cancer deaths. Yet, despite ballooning concerns, little is being done on the public policy level, as this probing documentary explains. Exploring the issue from individual, political, scientific and cultural perspectives, the film features appearances by Bill Clinton, Ralph Nader, Arnold Schwarzenegger, former Surgeon General Richard Carmona and others”

This documentary presents an all encompassing summary of various contributing causes of Obesity in America. The future of this country relies on today’s children, however for the first time in history forecasts show that the average American life expectancy “could decline by as much as 5 years unless aggressive efforts are made to slow rising rates of obesity.” As we take a look to the future of this country some of the expected outcomes are:

– decreased productivity rates in the workforce

– lack of government funds (aka tax payer’s money) for the medical bills resulting from diabetes 2, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

–  higher rates of obesity in our country’s military and police forces.

Watching this documentary will help you gain a better understanding of how the obesity epidemic has reached this point and how it affects both you and your family.