I love when there is a new movie out that promotes vegetarianism, veganism, or animal rights. It often creates a buzz in the online world and in even begins making the news. That's how it has been with the latest vegan-promoting documentary, What the Health. I kept seeing people talk about it online, I knew a few people who were motivated to try veganism after watching it, and so I had to check it out (I would have anyway, but it made me want to watch it sooner, rather than later).

This week, I watched the "What the Health" documentary twice. The first night, I watched it on Netflix on my laptop, while my husband was engrossed in watching a soccer match on TV. After viewing it, I really wanted him to watch it, so the next day we put it on the TV and the whole family watched it together.

The movie does a fantastic job of showing the twisted relationships between the companies that are supposed to have our best interest and yet are taking money from the ones who may be harming us. I like the filmmaker, Kip Anderson. I thought he did a great job with the documentary "Cowspiracy," and now he's hit another home run with this one. I like his approach and the sequence he takes with the film. Not only does he follow the money trail, but he also talks to real people who share their experiences, and he hits all aspects of the issue. It brought tears to my eyes to listen to the people in North Carolina who live around that hog farm share their stories.

His movie has several medical professionals who I am familiar with, as I've seen them in other movies and have read their books, including Dr. Michael Greger, Dr. T. Colin Campbell, and Dr. Michael Klaper, among others . The information presented is interested and thought provoking. I have seen some backlash to the movie coming from those who are skeptical, but even with that I think it's good that he's prompted a discussion about the importance of what we eat, who's funding studies, and why the recommendations on what a healthy diet are what they are in the mainstream.

After watching it the first time, I texted my sister (who eats a standard American diet) and told her she really needed to watch the movie. The next day she did, and then we talked about it on the phone. She said she felt confused, because the message in there is the opposite of what her friends are doing, as they eat the high meat/dairy diet and skip the carbs. I told her that I think instinctively, we all know that fruits and vegetables (plants) are the healthiest foods there are. The problem is that people want to hear good things about the bad things they eat, so the feel better about it. Deep down, I think we all know that plants are the healthiest foods. Oh, the movie inspired her to do a two-week plant-based eating challenge! I am looking forward to hearing how that goes and will blog about it.

Two thumbs way up for "What the Health." I think the movie is great, it's motivating to a lot people, it's getting people talking, it's making people question things, and I think it can do a lot of good for the health of the people, the animals, and the planet!