Several people have come to me since the “What the Health” documentary came out to discuss and ask questions about it. I am sharing lots of resources for you to read and listen to and to use your critical thinking skills on, as well as some of my personal thoughts.

When reading this post keep in mind my POV:

• I believe in eating real whole foods.
• I believe in eating lots-o-vegetables and fruit.
• I believe in sourcing the best and highest quality of food (particularly meat, eggs, and milk) possible.
• I believe in voting with your dollar.

I believe that big agriculture, factory farming, and big government have done the American people (and others we provide food for) and the planet a massive disservice. This may not have been the intention, but has been the result nonetheless. Anyone who does not tie all three of those groups together is already someone not to listen to.

I highly suggest you take the time to educate yourself….read, research, be informed from all sides, use critical thinking and common sense to drive your thoughts, opinions, and actions – do not just believe any deplorable, extreme video, article, book, or documentary that someone decides to put out there.

Reviews and Articles by Other Real Food POV People to Read:

• What The Health: A Wolf’s Eye View
• What the Health Documentary: A Review
• A Doctor Watches “What the Health” (Videos)
• What the Health Review: Health Claims Backed by No Solid Evidence
• Debunking What the Health, the buzzy new documentary that wants you to be vegan
• Joel Salatin responds to New York Times’ “Myth of Sustainable Meat”
• Pioneer in Sustainable Agriculture Shares His Vision of the Future of Food
• Do Vegetarians & Vegans Live Longer than Meat Eaters?

There are articles that have been written as though “What the Health” documentary is pure fact. I did take the time to read some of them. The fact is that what they say and the statistics they spout are not pure fact. If you read What the Health: A Wolf’s Eye View alone will debunk the majority of them. If you only read one of the articles linked above, read that one.

Side Note: Please watch documentaries with a discerning eye.

ByCandace Blog Posts to Read:

• Vegetarianism & Veganism
• Quality Food Sources
• Batch or Bulk Cooking / Meal Prepping – I have links to high-quality food sources throughout this post.
• Recipe: Main Dish – Baked Chicken Leg Quarters – At the beginning of this post, I provide resources for you to find chicken that has been raised well and treated well.
• The Paleo Diet IS Plant Based

Books to Read:

• Eat the Yolks
• Deep Green Resistance: Strategy to Save the Planet
• Against the Grain: How Agriculture Has Hijacked Civilization
• Defending Beef: The Case for Sustainable Meat Production
• The Soil Will Save Us: How Scientists, Farms, and Foodies Are Healing the Soil to Save the Planet
• The Vegetarian Myth
• The Big Fat Surprise: Why Butter, Meat and Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet

Podcasts to Listen to:

• RHR: What the $#@! Is Wrong with What the Health?
• #16 The Vegetarian Myth with Lierre Keith
• Real Food Radio Episode 002: The Meat Controversy

Sustainability Websites:

• Sustainable Dish by Diana Rodgers, RD
• Ployface Farms
• The Land Institute

My Personal Choices

I do my best to not support with my dollar factory farmed (conventionally raised) foods, particularly meat and eggs. I do my best to not purchase GMO foods. I do my best to sources grass-fed and finished beef, bison, and pork; wild-caught fish and seafood; and organic vegetables from local farms. If you buy quality foods from farmers who are running their animals and growing produce on the same land all the better for the environment. If you purchase food from local farms you can reduce the carbon footprint; the food doesn’t have to travel far. Buy local and buy in-season. I’m not perfect in this endeavor, but I put forth a valiant effort.

Side Note: You can do these things on a budget! You have to put forth some effort to do it.

My Opinion

The extremism of the documentary “What the Health” is a big red flag that should pop-up in your mind when you watch it.

• The documentary is fear-mongering and propaganda.

I agree that there is “collusion and corruption in the government and big business that is costing us trillions of healthcare dollars, and keeping us sick”. I do not agree with “What the Health’s” solutions to these issues.

• If you go to their webpage and take-a-gander, you will find that these folks are trying to make money off of creating fear in people. I see the selling DVDs, a Cookbook, a Companion Book, a T-Shirt, and a Meal Planner. Give me a break people! Boooo on you!
• It would truly be amazed if the makers of this documentary have ever taken a physiology or human biology class…or read any books, journals, or non-biased studies on their own that was to the contrary opinion. It is easy to see what you want to see when you are only looking at things that agree with your opinion.

They list off a boat-load of modern western diseases, all of which is associated inflammation. Nothing causes inflammation faster in the body than grains, processed grain products, sugar, alcohol, vegetable oils, trans fats, fried foods, fast food, conventionally raised diary, and artificial sweeteners. In addition to….yep….grain-fed meats and processed meats (in the factory meat farms). If you notice, all of the things listed are products of man….not real whole unadulterated food.

It is no secret that these foods will make you sick! So why all the hype?

Nothing will change the face of our food landscape like withdrawing our money from “the system”. The other thing I agree with is…that drastic measures need to be taken or we are going to end up in the gutter…..broke…with lots of sick people and no “sick-care” in sight to put a band-aid on it.

On repeat….source your food locally, seasonally, organic, grass-fed, grass-finished, pastured, and raw. Source as close to how and where it fell off the tree, grew out of the ground, raised and ethically slaughtered. Your food should spoil and need refrigeration or the freezer.

Please take the time read through my other posts listed and linked to above for more information, as well as the others that I’ve linked to.