I've been thinking of giving you some extra credit through the whole cleanse and haven't done it yet. I would like to share with you some of my favorite books that I have read over the past few years. I would also like to offer up some films you can check out if you are interested in food.
In my journey of yoga I have become more and more interested in the well being of all living things. This of course has to deal with our food system. Our current food system in the United States is one of the most crucial topics there is to discuss. We need to take action immediately, and we count. Sometimes we can feel a little or a lot helpless and hopeless, but just like I teach yoga "Empowering one yogi at a time," I feel like we can make a difference, "One yogi at a time!"
Here are some of my favorite reads that will most likely help you along your way on this path that we are all on. It helps so much to get informed and to see the big picture before you can take a stance on something.
Michael Pollan's book, The Omnivore's Dilemma, has been one of my favorites since I first read it four or five years ago. It is a great introductory book to introduce yourself to the world's state of being and agribusiness, and it takes a very anthropological perspective on telling the story of our world throughout history and our food historically and today.
Some of these books and films I am going to recommend are going to get a little rough, so if you have never thought about "the slow food movement," or agribusiness or a plant based diet as a way of life, start here with Pollan's book, The Omnivore's Dilemma.
Food, INC. Is a great film but it is really hard to watch. It always makes me cry but it is really beneficial because it shows the world as it is and we have been very much shielded from the horrors of the slaughterhouses and agribusiness for years and years. It is a great introduction and it will be sure to stir up some controversy in your home and life. Everyone on the planet should see it so that we can all be informed on the way in which our choices we make affect all living beings and the planet as a whole.
If you are too squeamish about watching Food, INC. Try starting with King Corn. This film is enormously informative without too much violent imagery. It would be beneficial for everyone to watch this film because it is really geared towards agribusiness in America and how it effects the world.
Food Matters is a good film to watch if you are interested in health. It is neither violent nor too controversial. It is mostly about vitamins, prescription medication and our current healthcare systems and how nutrition can play a major role in our health. There is also a lot of interesting information on superfoods and organic foods versus conventional farming. I laughed a lot at this film because the people that are interviewed are really funny.
Now for some more serious reads, I recommend the World Peace Diet by Will Tuttle, Ph.D. This has been one of my favorite books I've read in the last ten years. Some people prefer Melanie Joy, Ph.D's book Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs and Wear Cows. I really was blown away by Tuttle's book but found both very informative and empathic. If you are reading The World Peace Diet you need to read through the first couple of chapters because at first he sounds like a crazy new age hippy. If you can get past the first little bit you are in for a good read. Both of these books are very visceral and jarring. It is good to be informed on the ramifications of what the choices we make are and how they affect the world and the being in it.
This is the last things I will recommend for today. Earthlings is the most violent and most awful of these films to watch. I just recently watched it for the first time a few months ago and it changed me. It is a great film that we should all watch. I would recommend building up to this film.
Books and films like these are hard to watch, at lease I have found they are hard to watch because they make my heart hurt. In our culture today we are so far removed from where our food comes from and how it has gotten to our plates it is easy for us to forget to think about our choices. We need to know what we are doing and make choices to make the world a better place.
Much love,
elizabeth camp
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