At 7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 13, the 2011 documentary “Forks Over Knives” by director Lee Fulkerson was aired in the Downtown Ypsilanti Library on Michigan Ave.
Before the film, friendly faces shared a meal, eating treats plucked from local gardens and cooked in your neighbors’ kitchens. The potluck served up foods ranging from children friendly food like muffins to green peppers, polenta and baked beans to unforgettable gluten-free chocolate coconut cake. Nothing brings a community together like breaking fresh baked bread from the Ypsilanti Food Co-op.
The event saw a great turn out of people eager to delve into the issues affecting our local community.
According to library coordinator Joy Cichewicz, those present were “a group of people dedicated to this cause, living green and being easy on the environment.”
These are the people who make us question all aspects of life: what we buy, what we eat, where we’re going and how we’re getting there. Like many, before coming to Ypsilanti I’d never heard of urban farming or wondered what role I play in global warming. The film “Forks Over Knives” offered food for thought, and I ended up finding out more than I wanted to know about the American diet.
The sometimes graphic film depicted a stark comparison of American food habits to the rest of the world. “Fork Over Knives” can be painfully relatable. According to Ben Miller, Downtown Ypsilanti branch librarian, “The way a lot of people approach health is from a very medical perspective. I really like this film, because it brings it into the context of our everyday lives.”
The clinical and nutritionist perspectives divulged in this film stumble upon the same conclusion. Both advocate whole food diets to help long-term health issues.
“Forks Over Knives” suggests that Americans should start taking responsibility for healthy eating by consuming more plant-based foods and less animal-based foods. As it is, our country fears the impending threat of obesity, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, erectile dysfunction and lower life span, all topped off with insufficient health care.
Considering that a startling 40 percent of Americans live with obesity and that Lipitor, a pill used to lower cholesterol, is the most prescribed drug in America, this may be the time to start questioning our diet.
Most people assume that they’re in good health, because they don’t have any major diseases, despite the risk of silent killers like cholesterol. In Fulkerson’s eyes, the pills and injections commonly hocked by doctors may not be as effective at treating these “diseases of affluence” as a healthier diet.
The solution seems simple, yet many choose to remain ignorant about the way their food consumption affects their longevity. This puts a lot of pressure on the U.S Department of Agriculture to determine what Americans should consume based on the dietary guidelines depicted in the food pyramid, which can in turn affect the food that we consider “healthy” nationwide.
A question posed by Miller that the audience was left to ponder post-film was whether or not “buying or growing our own local food will allow us to have a greater stake in our own health.” What I wonder is whether or not Americans are up to the challenge.
According to the film, the ideal diet would include fruits, veggies, whole grains and legumes. Foods that need to be eliminated include meat, dairy, eggs, bleached flour, refined sugar and oil. While it may be tempting to take an extreme stance from this film and completely overthrow your current diet, all changes should be made in moderation.
Arika Lycan, member of Growing Hope and project co-planner, finds that “everyone should make some adjustments and find out what’s livable for them.”
Organizations like Growing Hope, Transition Ypsi and the Ypsilanti food Co-op, which sponsored this event, advocate taking a more active role in your food consumption.
According to Arika Lycan, “We’ve lost touch with what we’re supposed to be eating based on where we live and what really is healthy. Our goal is not to be crazy and change everyone’s diet to strictly seasonal, local food.” These non-profits, “just want to prove that Michigan can provide healthy produce options, too,” said Lycan.
“Forks Over Knives” effectively informed a proactive audience on alternative health
options.
The Sustainability Film Series will continue to be held the second Friday of every month in the Downtown Ypsilanti Library.
According to Cichewicz, “We’ve worked hard at the library to provide resources with information on the topic of sustainability. This all feeds into what we believe in. We need to take care of our world. We need to show our community that.”
If you want to do your own research, copies of all films in the series are available in the library.
