Granted, it was after I had offered her a bite of my Cliff bar, but still.
For those of you who have never heard this term, it was her way of asking if I was a hemp seed-eating, organic cotton-wearing, veggie-eating, soy-milk drinking, yoga-practicing, compost-turning hippie...
Subtle question, no?
You see, a little over four years ago, I adopted a plant based, vegan diet to treat my MS (multiple sclerosis) symptoms and experienced mind-blowing results.
Since then, I have continued eating plants, as well as educating myself on how this lifestyle benefits my overall health.
And along the way, I have learned how it also affects our planet and the other creatures who live on it.
So when my friend asked if I was still "granola", specifically "crunchy granola", it got me thinking about while this lifestyle is so important to me.
And also, how and why I want to share it with all of you!
So on Mondays, I will be sharing a new smoothie recipe. On Wednesdays, I will be sharing my fitness routine and some fun tips to stay in shape.
And on Fridays, I will be sharing with you my personal review on a food/wellness themed film or documentary.
Why a documentary?
Well, in total transparency, I love them.
It's also how I gathered a lot of information in the beginning.
I'm a pretty fast reader, but it still takes a few days to read a book.
Documentaries and movies can be finished in an evening.
They are also great for getting multiple views and opinions. Which is helpful when you are exploring something new.
Also, let's be honest - some documentaries are super entertaining. And some are super boring.
I am here to help you weed out the good from the bad!
Hope you look forward to these weekly reviews as much as I am looking forward to writing them.
PlanEat is a UK produced documentary about how eating a mostly plant based diet changes not only your health, but also affects the wellbeing of the planet. (you can rent it on Amazon Instant Video or iTunes)
It started off a little slow, and a bit boring; however, the producer did say they were on a pretty tight budget.
Tight as in $0. So, props to them.
What they lacked in videography, they made up for in solid interviews.
They interviewed renowned experts in the field of plant based nutrition speaking into the rational behind this way of life.
T. Colin Campbell, Caldwell Esselstyn, Gidon Eshel and Peter Singer - to name a few.
The first half of the film, I was super involved in my note taking. Which wasn't in vain.
Because, I learned that the Standard American Diet (also known by the acronym SAD - ironic) requires twice as much land to produce than if we lived off of a predominately plant based diet.
That's crazy!
But, what truly captivated me were two things: the FOOD and Ann Esselstyn.
First I will talk about the food.
Butternut Squash Soup
Mushroom Gravy
Gluten Free/Vegan Cupcakes
Raw Lasagna
Root Vegetable Tart
Kale Sandwiches
Garlic Hummus
Are any of the rest of you hungry?
No? Then it just must be me....
These brilliant chefs are taking plants and turning them into the comfort foods we all love.
Incredible.
And then there was Ann.
Oh Ann, you darling creature. Can I please come over and have you make me kale sandwiches and tofu desserts?
How I would love to be your granddaughter and sit at your plant based feet and learn.
So there was that fan girl moment.
Her husband is Caldwell Esselstyn and he treats patients at the Cleveland Clinic who come in with signs of coronary artery disease.
And he treats them with a plant based diet. The work is truly amazing.
His wife however, is the one who helps them with the lifestyle change.
Because as they said in the documentary, "Food is a choice."
Which is both a simple thought and an empowering thought - both at the same time.
It can feel overwhelming, but Ann's approach is simple and doable.
There were other great factors towards the end of the film as well.
Like Chad - his soups looked divine and I would like to be his best friend and come eat at his house every Sunday.
There was the man with the delightful Jewish accent - he could totally read me a bedtime story and I would be snoozing in seconds. #radiovoice
My overall rating for PlanEat is 2 out of 5 kale leaves.
While it wasn't my favorite documentary, it was informative and educational.
Which is extremely important when making a lifestyle change as big and as important as this one.
Stay tuned for next Friday's Review on one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE documentaries Vegucated!
Eat to Heal my Friends!!
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