hungry for change

For this week’s post, I chose to watch the documentary “Hungry for Change.” This documentary highlights the struggle that Americans face when it comes to food choices, and how the food industry has changed over time. The documentary highlights that over time, two things have changed: how our bodies store food and fat and sugar; and how the food industry uses chemicals to enhance the taste of food, making it seemingly more delicious but really making it addictive and unfulfilling. The main argument of the film, directed in segments by James Colquhoun, Laurentine Ten Bosch and Carlo Ledesma, is that by continually eating these processed foods, 1) our body is overwhelmed with toxins, and 2) our bodies were made to store fat for the winter, but there is no winter in this case. We’ve evolved so much from our hunter/gatherer ancestors, but so have foods and the idea of food. Hungry for Change emphasizes the necessity of eating clean. One point even takes a hit on religious Diet Coke drinkers, and how the aspartame plus caffeine might have the lack of calories that consumers want, but because of that replaces the refined sugar with other chemicals, and makes it addictive. While your body might realize that it is an empty drink, your mind is tricked into wanting more. The film makes its argument by using real life stories, professionals, and statistics to affirm that eating processed “food-like” foods don’t work (i.e., General Mills cereal Total Blueberry + Pomegranate doesn’t have blueberries. Or pomegranates. What?). The film is rhetorically supported by these testimonies from people who were just a cheeseburger or two away from being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, or so overweight from snacking and attempted diets, etc. I know I’m convinced of the film’s argument, and I was eating lunch yesterday as I started watching this movie and just recognized how many chemicals and unwanted and unnecessary toxins I was putting in my body. When I have my own kitchen in August, I fully intend on following the Hungry for Change eating plans and recipes!