We don’t know what it is lately that’s making us feel so unhealthy, despite our attempts at home-cooking, extreme exercise and the like. Maybe it’s that we sit hunched over a laptop for nine straight hours a day and commute for two more. Or, could it be that air quality in Los Angeles, where our RZ HQ is located, is the worst in the nation? Perhaps it’s due to our fondness for rosé and chocolate, both of which are piled high on our desks at present. Whatever the culprit, we’re feeling the effects and are somewhat desperate to regain the vigor we once experienced. Since reading books on health is what we do to fall asleep at night rather than a way in which we actually accumulate knowledge on the subject, we’ve instead turned to documentaries to get informed. Here, eight which will scare you into shape, ASAP.
Eat This, Not That
What's With Wheat?
We live in a weird world, wherein wheat has become controversial. Here, scientists, farmers and nutritionists discuss the uptick in gluten intolerance and the processes which might be responsible. Watch the trailer here and the full film on Netflix.
May I Be Frank
If this trailer doesn't make you cry, you are in a better place than we are. It follows the journey of a 54-year-old man—overweight and dependent on a smorgasbord of pills to survive the day—who wants to find love but doesn't believe anyone could love him in his unhealthy state. A trip to vegan restaurant Cafe Gratitude is the catalyst for change, and we're wondering why our waiters don't likewise seem to take a vested interest in our health. Watch this emotional and inspiring film on Amazon.
Forks Over Knives
This film is so convincing in its thesis that many diseases can be cured by diet that we circulated it to more than a few members of our extended family. If you, like us, fear seemingly ubiquitous ailments like cancer, this film may convince you to change your daily habits drastically. Watch the trailer here and the full film here.
Food, Inc
We recently attended a screening of Okja , a fictional Netflix film that will definitely have you questioning the source of your next meal on an emotional level. (It airs on June 28.) Food, Inc does the same using disturbing facts surrounding the industrial production of meat, grains and vegetables in the US as well as policies that enable the sanctioned sale of contaminated or toxic food to consumers. You can watch the trailer here and the full film here.
Vegucated
If you're on the fence about going vegetarian or vegan, this film might sway you in the direction of taking the leap. It follows three meat-loving New Yorkers of various stripes as they are switched to a vegan diet and educated about the ways in which animals are farmed. You can watch the trailer here and the full film here.
That Sugar Film
This film is a lot like the health doc classic Super Size Me, in which filmmaker Morgan Spurlock documents what happens to his body after eating nothing but McDonald's for 30 days. In this version, Australian Damon Gameau who doesn't consume refined sugars, decides to change his diet to include 40 teaspoons of sugar per day (the average Aussie's intake). He does this not by consuming obscene amount of candy but by eating regular, even "healthy" foods containing hidden sugars. As people who desperately want to quit sugar, we found this film to be motivational. Watch the trailer here and the full film here.
Fed Up
This film also tackles sugar and its role in the obesity epidemic, exposing the ways in which corporate interests are keeping us sick. It's one of the most highly lauded of its ilk. You can watch the trailer here and the full film here.
What The Health
This is the follow up to the Leonardo DiCaprio-produced film Cowspiracy, which details the effects of meat production on the environment. It likewise takes a swing at animal food products, this time from a health perspective, and explores the ways in which the government and health agencies are in bed with the industry which produces them. Watch the trailer here and the full film here.
