Food Matters Post-Screening discussion questions

  
Food Matters!

Questions:

1.Has seeing Food Matters changed any of your attitudes towards food or disease?
A: Although I am already a firm believer in the idea that food matters, as I was watching the documentary I realized that I've been slightly dropping the ball. I have been a vegetarian for the past year and half and in the beginning of my dieting journey, my food selection was rather picky. Seeing ''Food Matters" has reminded me of all the reasons I had made those changes to my lifestyle and inspired me all over again!

2. For you, what is the most concrete idea/lesson that you will take from the film?
A: I believe the most important message from the movie is that you are what you eat. Our bodies respond to processed /cooked foods as toxins and causes our system to attack itself by releasing leukocytes. Therefore, it is important that we consume a minimum of 51% raw food in every and each meal we consume. Today, many people suffer from malnutrition although they eat enough if not too much food. The problem- the food we eat is wrong for us. Through the process of cooking, enzymes and vitamins are taken away from our food making it empty and worthless. The documentary also insisted that supplementing ourselves with vitamins is a vital requirement as vitamins provide our bodies with the ability to not only prevent illness, but also heal itself.

3. What is one concrete idea that you can implement in your own life to improve your health and the health of your family?
A: Since my entire family followed in my footsteps and adapted a vegetarian diet, the next step to improve our lives would be to slowly move on to a raw food diet. The challenge I see in doing so is that we live in a world where it is difficult to separate ourselves from the rest of the world. It makes eating out or eating with others difficult. I know from my own experience how annoying picky eaters can be when everyone is trying to enjoy a meal together.

4. What is one concrete idea that you can implement in your community to improve health and well-being?
A: I have always wanted a garden where I could grow my own vegetables and fruit. I find it very relaxing to spend an afternoon taking care and growing something of your own. Some neighborhoods downtown and East Vancouver have community gardens and I have always been jealous of the people that had one to call their own.I think New Westminster could benefit from a community garden as it is something many people could develop a liking towards while physically benefiting from it.