Over the past year, in addition to Shakeology I’ve also incorporated a much higher quantity of raw vegetables into my P90X workout diet, and recently I made the decision to eliminate meat and dairy from my diet completely. I knew that there probably wasn’t going to be much in the film that was new to me, but I was really looking forward to it regardless.Like most who eat a vegetarian diet, I have family and friends who don’t quite understand the point of it all — I had high hopes that this movie would be a great introduction to the advantages of such a diet.

Forks Over Knives Trailer and Release Date

The Forks Over Knives release date was May 13, 2011, and the film attempts to document the link between the consumption of meat and dairy products with many of today’s worst degenerative diseases. In case you haven’t had a chance to watch it yet, here’s the official Forks Over Knives trailer…

Forks Over Knives Review – The Good

Overall, I thought Forks Over Knives was very well done and did an excellent job at discussing a somewhat controversial topic in a non-threatening manner.

This was a documentary that was intended for the masses, and noticeably absent from the film was language like “vegan” and “vegetarian”. Instead, these words were intentionally replaced with phrases such as “plant-based” — something that I feel will prove to be helpful in skirting the negative biases that many have when it comes to anything vegetarian, thus allowing them to view the facts in a more neutral light.

I also thought that Forks Over Knives did a great job of presenting the facts in a convincing yet concise way, and the film was not overly long or drawn out. There was quite a bit of research and also several scientific studies that I found fascinating, such as the massive decline in health complications after the occupation of Norway, when the Germans began confiscating livestock for their own use.

Forks Over Knives Movie – The Bad

Although I did enjoy the movie and have already recommended it to several friends, there were a few things that I felt could be improved on…

First of all, I thought that Forks Over Knives had a wonderful opportunity to hammer on processed foods a little harder, and stopped short. So much of the food that we eat today is loaded with harmful chemicals and artificial sweeteners like sucralose and aspartame — most people are completely unaware of this, and it would have been great to see some additional information about it in the film.

Secondly, I would have liked to see more focus on the importance of eating organic fruits and vegetables and the dangers of things like GMO and pesticides. Important stuff to anyone considering a plant-based diet, and issues that the Forks Over Knives diet documentary failed to address.

Forks Over Knives Documentary – Final Thoughts

Despite the fact that it wasn’t perfect, the Forks Over Knives documentary is definitely worth watching and does an excellent job at presenting the facts in a way that even the most die-hard of carnivores can appreciate.

Ultimately, I think this film is a great tool for spreading the message of plant-based nutrition to others. It’s the type of movie that you can recommend to everyone in your life, without worry that someone may find it offensive.

If you’ve already seen Forks Over Knives, I would love to hear what you think of it. Please share your comments and reviews below…

If you haven’t tried Shakeology yet, you owe it to yourself to try a bag. Shakeology is a complete meal replacement that contains 70 super healthy whole food ingredients — it’s much more than just a protein shake.

Shakeology is currently available in two flavors, chocolate and greenberry. While greenberry is a tasty flavor, I definitely prefer the chocolate. It literally tastes like a chocolate milk shake… but it’s healthy for you (promise!).

Mixing up Shakeology as a P90X recovery drink alternative is super quick and easy, just combine water (or any other liquid) with 1 scoop of Shakeology powder. You can use a blender, but I prefer to simply use a shaker cup as it’s quicker and requires less cleanup.

If you’re like me and want an added jolt of protein after your P90X workout, I highly recommend adding liquid egg whites. They are completely odorless and tasteless, and 8 pumps (1 pump = 1 ounce = 1 egg) delivers 26 grams of pure protein. The liquid egg whites that I drink are completely safe to drink (they’re pasteurized), and are free of additives, preservatives, and artificial ingredients.

If you’re looking for a P90X recovery drink alternative, try it out. Highly recommended!

After doing a ton of research, I finally pulled the trigger on the Big Berkey with 4 black elements. When it comes to high-end water filtration systems, this thing is the undisputed heavyweight champ.

One of the cool things about the Big Berkey is the fact that it’s a gravity fed system that doesn’t rely on electricity or batteries. Just pour water into the top of the stainless steel canister, and it will instantly begin the purification process.

The Big Berkey will handle pretty much anything you can throw at it. Whether it’s dirty water from remote lakes, streams and stagnant ponds, or just poor quality tap water — this system will deliver safe, clean, and great tasting water.

The Big Berkey removes some really bad stuff like pathogenic bacteria, pesticides, organic solvents, radon 222, trihalomethanes, herbicides, cysts and parasites, and more. It also reduces unhealthy minerals such as lead and mercury, and reduces both nitrates and nitrites. It even removes food coloring from water with stripping out the beneficial minerals the body needs.

The Big Berkey water filter is just under 20″ tall and is made of high-quality 304 stainless steel. Max capacity is approximately 2.25 gallons of water. Highly recommended if you want to provide your body with the best water possible.

In Level II during the Fat Shredder phase, you are required to consume the following each day:

• 7 servings of protein
• 3 servings of dairy
• 1 serving of fruit
• 4 servings of vegetables
• 1 serving of fat
• 1 serving of carbs
• 3 snacks

Food should be eaten every 2-3 hours and I’m opting for the portion approach, which is great for those who don’t like to cook meals.

I bought a lot of good food at the grocery store, including steaks, tuna, ground turkey, oranges, blueberries, raspberries, skim milk, fat free yogurt, fat free cottage cheese, cucumber, tomatoes, celery, whole wheat bagels, and egg whites.

I’m getting ready to take my pre-P90X measurements and before pictures. I’ll post the photos and stats in a little while…