Movie Review: Food, Inc.

S. and I were feeling lazy and decided to watch a movie on Netflix last night. We perused the Instant Queue offerings and found Food, Inc. A friend recommended the documentary and so we put it on.

Oh.
My.
Gosh.

We already knew that there were severe issues with the system (a huge part of why we've only been going to farmer's markets for our produce for the past 6-8 months) but we had no idea how far reaching it was.

I see why people are vegetarians given the state of our food.

This movie has changed us completely as we will never step foot in a supermarket again. I'm even rethinking eating out. Has this information made me paranoid? No way. It's provided me with information and I feel empowered to make critical choices that will affect my family's diet in a much better way.

Do I recommend you watch it? Hands down, yes. Yes, yes, yes.

http://www.foodincmovie.com/

My rating: ***** (out of 5)

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Side note: Considering that health care seems to be a super hot topic right now here's a question that we should think about (this stems from the movie).

We are focusing so much on the insurance companies, doctors, and our government to fix this system because so many sick people need insurance but can't get care. In the movie, they talk about how ridiculous it is that a bag of chips and a soda are cheaper than buying fresh vegetables, which obviously severely affects the poor and minorities. The rate of diabetes, heart-related issues, and cancer is skyrocketing. No one is questioning the food. And no one is taking responsibility for their actions (choosing a McDonald's hamburger over fresh fruit and veggies).

My question is why are we racing to spend more money on a bill that will only put a band aid on the problem as opposed to changing out outlook on food and proper nutrition and exercise?

(The answer is in the movie so go watch!)

Book Report: Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Wechsler

Although I bought and started this book what feels like forever ago, I finally got the push to finish it and I'm glad I did. There is a lot of great information that is gone over - from basic charting lessons (basal body temp, cervical fluid, and cervix checks) to conditions that could be preventing pregnancy (stress, anovulatory cycles, and even luteal phase problems). In addition to charting and pregnancy-related issues, Toni Wechsler also discusses topics such as how to achieve a certain sex and even goes into detail about PMS.

There were other books mentioned in this one that I'm very curious about and will look into (and report back). Another great feature of this book that I liked was the picture section showing cervical fluid and cervical positions. I only wish I could find info on what a "healthy" menstrual flow looks like - especially since she mentions issues with a thin uterine lining (something I may be looking into).

The only issue I had with the book was the repetition. I felt she kept saying the same thing over and over and not in the "let me stress how important this is" manner, it was more like "I promised my editor a big, fat book and I need to meet that promise" kind of way. But this doesn't detract from the fact that there is a lot of great information in here and is something EVERY woman needs to read and practice.

My rating: **** (out of 5)

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If you're interested in charting to take control of your cycles, visit http://www.ovusoft.com/ or http://www.fertilityfriend.com/

Ovusoft is the official software of TCOYF. They have a CD ROM that only works with PCs, however they just released an online version that I've been told is good.

I, personally, use Fertility Friend and find it works great for me.