The world is facing a health crisis and there are so many documentaries helping to shine light on positive solutions. It is no surprise that people are sick and that food is being blamed as a culprit. The typical western diet is heavy with processed foods, and people are making poor diet choices. The following documentaries explore how eating a healthier, more plant based diet can help you heal your body and live healthier.

They feature real people and experts who explore how we view food, how our food is produced, and how our society is overloaded with processed foods that are essentially killing us. They will inspire you to take a closer look at your own diet and perhaps make some changes of your own.

10 Inspirational Documentaries 

Food, Inc.

Food Inc investigates and digs into issues within the food industry. This documentary gives the audience a little inside view on issues such as cost of processed food versus produce. Other issues it examines are the legality of how the food industry runs and the accountability, or lack there of, that big corporations are held to as well as how food is produced. It takes a peek into how animals are raised and how consumers have the right to know how their food is being produced and how antibiotics, genetic modification, and industry practices might impact our health and environment in the long run. It will definitely make you question what you are buying and eating.

Forks Over Knives

Examines the huge financial and health costs that are plaguing the world. It discusses how the western world’s overall diet is impacting health and how the decline in health can be connected to poor diet choice. This documentary argues that being accountable for what you put in your body, and eating a more plant based diet will help improve your health, and it speaks with people who were once crippled with health issues are now living healthier lives thanks to better diet choices. It also compares the traditional western diet with those in the east and how as western diets found their way into those cultures, health issues such as cancer began to rise.

Hungry For Change

This documentary digs into the food and diet industry. It examines how the world views diets and how the food around us is making us unhealthy and fat. It dives into the world of dieting and how it essentially is designed to fail. Several experts speak about the implications of diet pills, diet drinks, and more. Like the other documentaries, this one discusses how better food choices such as produce, and reducing or eliminating processed food will help people become healthier.

Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead 1

This documentary follows Joe Cross, a man who is overweight and dealing with an array of health issues. Fed up with being sick and feeling as is traditional medicine had failed him, he embarks on a journey to better health. Joe gives up junk and processed food in exchange for 100% fruit and vegetable juices over a sixty day period. He travels around the country and meets people, inspiring them to give the juice fast a try in order to heal their bodies. Along the way, he meets Phil Staples, a trucker is also overweight and dealing with health issues of his own. This documentary inspires people to take charge of their health, and shows that it is possible to live healthier. Through this juice “reboot”, both Phil and Joe were able to lose weight and begin life style changes that enabled them to continue to live healthier.

Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead 2

Six years after the first Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead, Joe is back and he is traveling the world again, inspiring others to make healthier changes in their diets and lifestyles. The juice craze has swept the nation and it is partially thanks to Joe. He wants people to see that juicing was just one step that he took in order to become healthier. This new documentary takes a closer look at not just diets, but how lifestyle choices that affect our health. It examines how exercise, diet, and emotional support are all integral parts of maintaining your health and well being.

Food Matters

This documentary looks at the food and pharmaceutical industry and how it impacts our health. It argues that food is a major reason why cancer, heart disease, and other health issues are on the rise. It also takes a look at how the pharmaceutical companies are simply patching the issue and not really fixing the issue. It also uncovers startling statistics about pharmaceutical related deaths as well as the health implications. Finally, it takes a look at how environmental factors, pesticides, genetic modifications, and other factors are impacting our food and our health.

Supersize Me

This film follows Morgan Spurlock who decides to be the guinea pig for his own experiment. For 30 days, he eats from McDonalds three times a day, and when asked if he wants his meals super-sized, he takes the offer. Prior to his experiment, he meets with doctors who prove he is in good health. However, his experiment has huge health implications. This film examines how eating fast food can greatly impact your health and how the consumer has to be more responsible for their food choices.

Cowspiracy

This film takes a look at cattle and livestock are impacting the environment. It discusses factors such as water depletion, deforestation, and more while also digging into the political factors surrounding the industry. It argues that livestock production greatly consumes resources and is a major factor in climate change and emissions.

Vegucated

Vegucated follows three people are they give up meat, dairy, and animal products and adopt a vegan diets for six weeks. This experiment allows these three people to explore how the meat industry works and possibly change their views on what they eat. In the beginning, these people discuss how they like meat and that their diets consist of a lot of animal products. Through this experiment, they see the pros and cons of a vegan lifestyle.

Jamie’s Sugar Rush

https://vimeo.com/142612794

In this documentary, Jamie Oliver talks about sugar consumption and the impacts it has on a person’s health. Jamie interviews people who do not seem to be aware that they are consuming more than the daily recommended amount. Finally, he takes a look at how sugar can cause a wealth of health related issues such as cancer, premature aging, diabetes and more. He decides to go to find ways to help reduce childhood obesity in the UK (such as the sugary drink tax) and works to bring to light the facts surrounding sugar consumption.

Summary

These documentaries are a great way to begin to educate yourself on how your diet can affect your health. Being aware of the issues in these regards can help you adopt a healthier lifestyle and make changes necessary to live a healthier life. It also proves that as consumers, we have to take responsibility for what we put in our bodies and demand accountability from those responsible for producing the food we eat.

These films show real people making real changes and inspire other people to do the same. Being armed with knowledge will allow you to make better choice and be accountable for your own health.