I was thrilled when I learned I had an opportunity to go to a screening of the new documentary about plant-based eating, PlantPure Nation.
When I learned that PlantPure Nation was being brought to us by the same producers as Forks Over Knives (2011) I was especially excited to check it out. (If you haven’t seen Forks Over Knives, read my review HERE!)
The documentary is narrated by Nelson Campbell, son of renowned nutrition researcher and co-author of the best-seller The China Study, Dr. T Colin Campbell. The film basically picks up where Forks Over Knives left off, focusing less on convincing the viewer that a whole foods vegan diet plan is the way to go, and more on how we, the people, need to take the initiative and come together to demand our rights when it comes to accessibility of information and availability of fresh, whole plant foods. PlantPure Nation follows the journey of Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Nelson Campbell, and Kentucky State Senator Tom Riner as they work tirelessly to start a grassroots movement as well as pass legislation that will bring awareness of the benefits of a plant-based diet to the public eye.
During the course of the film, you go on the road with Nelson as he leads pilot 10-day “jumpstarts” starting in the unlikely small town of Mebane, NC, where Southern charm and barbeque make up the culture. Here he manages to gather 16 participants who receive education, medical exams, and prepared fresh vegan meals for a 10-day period. As you witnessed in Forks Over Knives, the participants were overwhelmed with the results after the ten days when their total and bad (LDL) cholesterol dropped by an average of 20%.
PlantPure Nation also emphasises the role of the medical community, featuring several doctors who testify to the fact that nutrition is hardly a part of their education or professional development at all. They are trained to write prescriptions for drugs. One doctor even threw out the idea that it would be legitimate if one day, it would be considered malpractice for doctors to NOT educate their patients about how a whole foods, plant-based diet can prevent, treat, and often reverse chronic conditions and disease.
This documentary is both powerful and informative. For people like me with a short attention span, Nelson speaks a bit on the slow side, but I believe this is necessary to clearly get his points across, especially to those hearing the information for the first time. You spend a large part of the movie inside the offices of politicians and inside governmental walls, so be prepared to learn a great deal about the legislative process which can be a bit tedious, though vital in order to further grassroots efforts to make change.
The take-home message is that we have the power to create a movement and revolutionize our health care system and save both our own lives and the lives of people in the U.S. and all over the world. PlantPure Nation is not just a movie, it’s a movement… a movement with structure. They have started something called “PlantPure Pods” which are being formed on the local level all over the country. The Pods are groups of people coming together to bring awareness and start positive change within their communities.
You can join your local Pod HERE. I did… join me!
Ella Magers, MSW
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