Seeds are life. Without seeds, we would not have fruits, vegetables, or grains to eat. We would lack the nutrients we need to survive. Our ancestors depended upon seeds, and we still depend upon them today. A 2014 documentary called Open Sesame explores the story of seeds and our connection to them. I watched the film and decided to share my favorite takeaways from it, and how you can make a difference in sustaining the seeds that sustain us!
It seems like everyone has been talking about this recent documentary called What the Health. There’s a good amount of controversy surrounding it and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. In a nutshell, it brings to light how the meat and dairy industries are in collusion with the government and big business to control how people eat, even though it’s making people chronically ill and devastating the environment. This is not news to me, so I was definitely interested to see what this plant-based documentary had to say on the topic.
It appears that many of the people that have issues with What the Health do so because of the way the statistics in the film are presented, the comparison that the effects of meat are just as harmful as smoking cigarettes, “gotcha” journalism tactics, the claim that sugar isn’t the cause of diabetes, and the fact that tons of people just plain don’t like vegans because of stereotypes or otherwise. What’s interesting is that most of the negative criticism surrounding the film never touches on the bigger picture. Critics don’t refute or discuss the cruelty to animals presented in the film, the devastation to the environment, or how powerful the government is in influencing what we eat. Instead, people nitpick about the smaller controversies in the film. For me, the bigger picture is way more important to discuss. Although I do have a couple of questions surrounding information presented in the film, I feel open minded about the message of the documentary and I hope it causes other people to open their minds to new possibilities as well.
Here’s some interesting information from What the Health, why I think it matters, and how our food choices affect the planet.
The documentary A Small Good Thing is named after an award winning short story written by Raymond Carver. At the center of the story is a message of the healing power of community. In the same vein, the documentary centers around 6 people who have chosen to find happiness by focusing on family and community.
The problem with today’s world is that it’s so convenient and we have everything at our fingertips, but that doesn’t equate to happiness. You can’t be truly fulfilled if you don’t have to work for anything. And what are we doing with all that time freed up by so much convenience? Browsing social media and watching Netflix, mostly.
Collectively, we also believe that happiness = success = money. We have a lot of material wealth but we also have the highest rates of mental illness and depression ever recorded. We aren’t happy and we aren’t connected with one another. We feel alienated and alone. Studies show that once a person reaches the $75,000 mark in terms of yearly salary, anything above that makes zero difference in happiness.
The material growth we’ve been pursuing is not reliable and it’s destroying our planet, literally and figuratively. So how can we live in a better way? A Small Good Thing follows 6 people in the Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts who are trying to live according to this philosophy. There’s a yoga instructor, dance teacher, college student, produce farmers, and a livestock farmer. What did they discover by simplifying their lives and taking a more holistic approach to happiness? You’ll have to watch it yourself to hear their answers. But here are some interesting and important ideas that I took away from the film…
I’m super excited about today’s post because I made another video and it’s an easy 2-in-1 beauty hack that is all natural! The majority of skin and beauty products on the market contain chemicals and preservatives, even if they claim to be “all natural.” Our skin, especially on the face, is so delicate – too delicate to be slathering chemicals onto – because your skin absorbs anything you put on it.
Treat your skin kindly and it will stay nice and smooth for you a lot longer. And your teeth too! I can’t even imagine all the yucky chemicals found in whitening products, and even some toothpastes too. That’s why I made a video for this simple Turmeric Face & Tooth Mask. It’s full of amazing nutrients. Try it out yourself and see what you think!
I’m all about using natural foods as beauty products – apple cider vinegar toner, turmeric facial masks, coconut oil for skin and hair – and I would love to hand make everything myself, but that’s just not realistic right now. I’m sure at one point in the future I’ll be making my own shampoo and lip balm and even makeup. It’s actually not that difficult once you have the ingredients and tools. But for now, I’ve found my favorite store-bought beauty items that are vegan, cruelty free and contain lots of all natural ingredients as opposed to chemicals.
Here are my favorite beauty must haves!