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Documentary Review: The Truth About Cancer: A Global Quest

Oct22

Documentary Review:  The Truth About Cancer:  A Global Quest

Hosted by Ty Bollinger

Watch the trailer here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXj0a624JC4

the first wealth is health

“When a man has his health, he has a thousand dreams.  When he has lost his health, he has but one.”

Over the past 9 days, I have invested many hours watching all 9 episodes of the docu-series, “The Truth About Cancer:  A Global Quest,” hosted by Ty Bollinger.

It was a very informative series that tells the stories of people who have beat cancer through the use of alternative therapies. It describes many different treatments that have been successful in curing cancer when used instead of, or in conjunction with, conventional treatments.

I enjoyed learning about these alternative therapies, and I deeply appreciate all of the hard work the entire crew put into making this information available to us.  Some of the “truth” was very disturbing.  For example, they told the stories of several pediatric patients who were forced to use conventional treatments, despite the wishes of the child or their parents.

My only criticism about this documentary was that I felt the general attitude toward the conventional methods and conventional doctors and oncologists was overly negative.  I do believe there is some good in everything, and while my personal preference would always be to go the natural route first if possible, I have heard of stories where conventional methods have worked successfully for some people, but that is not mentioned in the documentary.  Because of the negative stance this took toward conventional treatments, I was very hesitant to share these episodes with friends because I did not want to stir up any negative feelings in those I know who have lost loved ones to cancer using conventional methods.  However, I ultimately decided that the past is in the past, and if this information can help save a life in the future, it is important that it gets out there.

After listening to all the stories of the cancer survivors, these are some of the key things I noticed and what I learned about the treatments, tips, and resources that are available:

  • FAITH – I noticed that every cancer survivor shown had a deep faith in God and faith in the ability of their own body to heal itself.
  • DETOX – I learned that one of the first things these patients did was detox their bodies as part of their treatment plan. Some of the ways they used to detox their colon, kidneys, liver, and lymph nodes were through juicing wheatgrass and other fruits and vegetables, fasting, herbs, coffee enemas, and colonics.
  • SUPPORT – Each of these cancer survivors had a deep support system. They were deeply loved and supported by close friends or relatives.
  • EMOTIONAL HEALTH was one of the main focuses of their healing process. Eliminating stress from their lives was a key factor in their healing.  Some also worked on letting go of their fears, and one spent a considerable amount of time dealing with past pains until he could make peace with each event.
  • NUTRITION played a huge role in the healing of all of these patients. They all changed their diets to eliminate sugar and processed foods and to eat a diet of REAL foods.  Many of them strictly followed a raw, vegetarian diet during their healing process.
  • Many of them added cancer-fighting foods to their diets, such as green pepper, eggplant, turmeric, ginger, wheatgrass, eggplant, and hot peppers.
  • ESSENTIAL OILS, especially Frankincense, Myrrh, and Cannabis oil.  Sandalwood and lavender oils were also mentioned.
  • NATURE.  Many of them spent a lot of time out in nature and took advantage of the healing properties of nature. From the sound and smell of the ocean, to the plants that we eat and the sun that shines on our skin to produce Vitamin D, everything in nature is medicinal.
  • SUPPLEMENTS.  Many of them began taking vitamins, especially Vitamin C, D, B17, LifeOne, and Living Fuel 
  • Infrared sauna or infrared heating mats
  • Light & Sound Therapy
  • Oxygen Therapy
  • Laetrile – Vitamin B17 from Apricot kernel pits w/hypothermia
  • GRATITUDE.  Many of them practiced gratitude. In general, they seemed to all have a positive attitude and outlook on life.
  • Chiropractic – “The doctor of the future will give no medicine,  but will instruct his patients in care of the human frame in a proper diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease.“~Thomas Edison
  • Heat therapy – heat kills cancer cells
  • IV therapy
  • Phytotherapy
  • Hydrotherapy
  • Micronutrient therapy
  • Essiac Tea
  • Earthing – Walking barefoot on the beach or in the grass.
  • And many other therapies were mentioned.

Here are some resources that were mentioned:

I believe knowledge is power. It is important to know that there are so many other treatment options available in addition to the conventional methods of surgery, chemo, and radiation.  There are as many effective treatments out there as there are types of cancer.  I personally cannot recommend any of these specific therapies, but I encourage you to do your own research before trying any of them.  Having this knowledge could help you save a life one day…possibly even your own.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXj0a624JC4

Movie Review: Food, Inc.

Feb12

Food, Inc.

Food Inc cover

My Rating **** 4 out of 5 stars

Why Did I Watch?

I find food documentaries fascinating.  Since I started becoming more health conscious, I have taken an interest in knowing exactly WHAT it is I am eating and WHERE my food is coming from.  This is a perfect movie to watch if you want to discover the truth about food in America.  I recently saw it available streaming on Netflix, so I decided to watch it again.

Summary

Have you ever wondered where supermarket food really comes from?  If so, Food, Inc. is a must see!  The movie takes a close look inside America’s supermarkets, slaughterhouses, chicken houses, and more to reveal the truth about our nation’s food industry.  Here are a few highlights I took away from the movie:

  • The industry doesn’t want you to know the truth about what you’re eating…because if you knew, you might not want to eat it.
  • Our food is coming from enormous assembly lines where the animals and the workers are being abused.  And the food has become much more dangerous in ways that are being deliberately hidden from us.
  • The modern American supermarket has on average 47,000 products.  It may seem like a large variety of choices, but in reality, there are only a few companies involved and only a few crops involved.  Michael Pollan followed that food back to its source, and he always ended up in the same place…a cornfield in Iowa.  Most of the processed items in the supermarket can be traced back to corn or soy in one form or another.
  • There are only a handful of companies controlling our food system.  The top 4 beef packers control 80% of the beef market.
  • Processed foods are cheaper than produce, leading consumers to purchase the unhealthy foods.
  • Foods are being engineered to lengthen shelf life.
  • There is an overabundance of corn in the US.  Animals, and even fish, are being fed corn even though it is not their natural diet.
  • Research indicates that feeding cattle a high corn diet results in E.coli that are acid resistant.  These are the more harmful E.coli.
  • Regulatory agencies are being controlled by the very companies they are supposed to be scrutinizing.
  • In the 1970’s, there were thousands of slaughterhouses in the US.  Today, there are only 13 that process the majority of beef that is sold in the US.
  • Meat packing is one of the most dangerous jobs in America.  Many of the workers are illegal immigrants.  The government is arresting the workers, but nothing is happening to the company for hiring them.
  • Processed foods contribute to obesity and health issues.
  • It is against the law to criticize the food industry’s foods.
  • Monsanto created and patented a Genetically Modified soybean seed.  By 2008, over 90% of soybeans in the US contained this patented gene.
  • There are virtually no public seeds anymore.  Monsanto sues farmers for saving seeds.

What Did I Think? / My Recommendation

I found this documentary to be extremely eye-opening.  In my opinion, anyone who eats food in America should watch this.  While it did not turn me into a vegetarian, it did steer me away from buying the products of the big name companies mentioned in the movie.  I first watched this movie about 2 years ago, and I have not knowingly purchased one product by those companies since.  Every time we buy an item of food, we are voting.  I have chosen to vote with my dollar, and I encourage others to do the same.

I was surprised to learn that our government is more concerned about protecting the food industry than it is about protecting our health.  That is very concerning to me, and just reinforces to me that we need to be the ones to take the initiative to educate ourselves and pay attention to WHAT we are eating by closely reading ingredient labels.  The best way to know where your food is coming from is to buy local and seasonal whenever possible.  Or better yet, grow your own garden!

Overall, I applaud everyone who had a hand in the making of this movie because the truth about America’s food industry needs to be known.  I am going to do my part by continuing to spread the word and vote with my dollar.  If everyone does the same, we can make a difference!

As an additional note, if you want to go more in depth on any of the topics mentioned in the movie, I would highly recommend reading the book The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan.  The book is not an easy read as it is EXTREMELY thorough, but if you are looking for more details on any of these topics, I feel the book is a perfect companion to the movie.

For more information about the movie, additional reviews, and information about where to find the movie, check it out on IMDb here.

Movie Review: Fed Up

Dec26

I just watched the Food Documentary “Fed Up” last night, and I thought it was REALLY good!

Fed Up Movie Cover

My Rating ***** 5/5 stars

Why Did I Watch This Movie?

I watched this movie because I really enjoy food documentaries.  I find them inspiring, and they motivate me to want to eat healthier.  My friend told me her 7th grade son saw the movie in school, and it really had an impact on him.  So, I decided to check it out at my local library, and I’m glad I did! 🙂

Summary

Fed Up is a 2014 food documentary film.  It focuses on the causes of obesity in America.  Evidence is presented to show how sugar and processed foods contribute to obesity.  The main message of the movie is to encourage people to minimize processed foods and sugar, and instead eat REAL FOOD.

Check out the movie trailer now: 

What Did I Think?

I LOVED this movie!  I enjoy watching food documentaries anyway because I feel inspired by them.  I think it is important to know WHAT we are eating and WHERE it is coming from.  It is scary to think that many people have no idea what is in their “foods” and where it comes from.  Many Americans are overweight and malnourished because they are filling up on “foods” that provide no nutrition and really are not foods at all.  This is very dangerous because it contributes to many health issues that could easily be prevented.

I think everyone should watch this movie, including children.  I think is is important to educate as many people as possible to get them to understand that their bodies need REAL food.  We all need to be better educated on the impact processed foods and sugar have on our bodies and overall health.  If we don’t get educated, it could have dangerous consequences.

I think one of the most important steps to eating more REAL foods and cutting out processed foods and sugar is to learn how to read ingredient labels.  There is a wonderful video to teach you how to read ingredient labels on the blog 100 Days of Real Food.   100 Days of Real Food is also a wonderful resource for finding REAL food recipes.

Check out the Fed Up movie official website here to find out more about the movie or to take the FED UP 10 Day Challenge.