Friends often ask me about veganism (aside from the usual, “So, where do you get your protein?”). I’m always more than happy to talk about it, but sometimes I’m TOO happy and passionate about it that I probably scare people, more than educate them. With the advent of Netflix, it’s sometimes easier to refer them to certain documentaries that probably explain things much more articulately. Plus, I also think people need to see it for themselves. So here are my favorite vegan documentaries (and no, they’re not graphic–although everyone should watch at least one showing slaughterhouses/animal-testing/dairy farms, etc).
Forks Over Knives
“FORKS OVER KNIVES examines the profound claim that most, if not all, of the degenerative diseases that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting our present menu of animal-based and processed foods. The major storyline in the film traces the personal journeys of a pair of pioneering yet under-appreciated researchers, Dr. T. Colin Campbell and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn. The idea of food as medicine is put to the test. Throughout the film, cameras follow “reality patients” who have chronic conditions from heart disease to diabetes. Doctors teach these patients how to adopt a whole-foods plant-based diet as the primary approach to treat their ailments—while the challenges and triumphs of their journeys are revealed.” This is probably one of my favorite “vegucating” movies!
Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret
“COWSPIRACY is a this shocking yet humorous documentary reveals the absolutely devastating environmental impact large-scale factory farming has on our planet, and offers a path to global sustainability for a growing population.” If you care about our planet and want to know what you can do to save it, Cowspiracy is the movie to watch. It’s also available on Netflix!
Peaceable Kingdom
PEACEABLE KINGDOM is such a beautiful film! “With strikingly honest interviews and rare footage demonstrating the emotional lives and intense family bonds of animals most often viewed as living commodities, this groundbreaking documentary shatters stereotypical notions of farmers, farm life, and perhaps most surprisingly, farm animals themselves.”
FOOD MATTERS
“FOOD MATTERS discusses the importance of Nutrition & Natural Therapies for helping with chronic illness. The film shows which foods and therapies are ideal for optimal health and have been proven to fight Cancer, Heart Disease, Diabetes, Depression and many more Chronic Illnesses and everyday conditions.” This is an eye-opening and powerful film that convinced me that the key to beating cancer is through food, not drugs or radiation.
Vegucated
VEGUCATED is “Part sociological experiment and part adventure comedy, Vegucated follows three meat- and cheese-loving New Yorkers who agree to adopt a vegan diet for six weeks. Lured by tales of weight lost and health regained, they begin to uncover the hidden sides of animal agriculture that make them wonder whether solutions offered in films like Food, Inc. go far enough. This entertaining documentary showcases the rapid and at times comedic evolution of three people who discover they can change the world one bite at a time.” This is a great film that showed how three real people benefited from a vegan diet.
The Beautiful Truth
THE BEAUTIFUL TRUTH documents the journey of a fifteen-year-old boy who travels the country talking to cancer survivors, doctors and scientists about The Gerson Therapy. It’s incredibly fascinating and you can watch it for free!
TED Talk: Dr. Melanie Joy
TED TALK WITH DR. MELANIE JOY where she explains the belief system that allows us to love some animals while consuming others. An excellent TED Talk that I recommend to everyone. Melanie is also the author of Why We Love Dog, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows: An Introduction to Carnism. Learn more at BeyondCarnism.
