Food Documentaries Review and Conscious Eating

It is inevitable in this lifetime for a woman to go an entire lifetime without dieting. Especially if you live in North America. Especially if you are a Korean. Why do I say this? Because it's true. It's something women don't speak of in public, but we all do it. We diet and starve and try every means possible to lose weight and maintain the figure. Have you seen what's out there? How many films and advertisements have you seen with the perfect beauty with her flawless curves and toned figure? Countless for me, especially because I personally enjoy admiring gorgeous women. Have you seen how skinny Koreans can be? They are tiny. Sure, they have more body fat content than a vast majority of people in North America that exercise on a daily basis. But they're thin. And that's the social norm. And I'm not talking about just women in Korea. The average guys are so skinny that a typical North American woman looks fat just standing next to them.

It was somewhat many years ago that I came across very controversial material and even became an advocate of PETA (people for ethical treatment of animals for those that are unfamiliar) in my high school years. I remember the horrors of those videos, how they raise animals and how much of an ill treatment they receive in the process of getting to our dining tables. But man, is it overrated. Have you ever thought that about these short clips that make your temporarily gag and shudder with displeasure? Being a former member and a pretty active member of peta2, their youth initiative with the cute stickers, I have come across dozens upon dozens of videos and literary material as well as some gnarly posters and adorable stickers while trying to lead a vegetarian lifestyle for that brief but interesting month. What is my verdict? What is my honest opinion about this industry and crude media portrayed by these organizations?

As helpful as these resources were meant to be, they are not strong enough to influence a lifestyle change. These are people who have lived this way all their lives and because they watch a short clip of an animal being tortured and killed for profit in a capitalist country they'll change their entire lifestyle off of it? No freaking way. Hell, no. It ain't gonna happen. Why? Because I've been there. Because people forget. Because ultimately, people need more than vulgar and graphic content to change. Because this is not a good enough reason to turn a life around. Or away - from meat, and animal bi-products too, if you're going vegan. The point is to be conscious of these processes and be aware that the food industry does what it does in order to meet the demands people create. I can't say that they won't do nothing because the effect is different for every person. However, let's be realistic. How many people would stop eating meat immediately right after watching these documentaries or films or even brief video clips? And how many people choose to maintain that change? Not many, that is for certain.

When I decided I wanted to cut meat out of my diet, I did it for two reasons. One, because I wanted to challenge myself to live without meat. Two, because I wanted to see if that would make me healthier as everyone who is vegetarian or vegan claims. The result was that yes, I was able to cut out meat out of my diet for a month and yes, I did feel better about myself within this month I lived without meat. But my biggest enemy wasn't red meat. It was chicken. Ask any of my kin. They know. Oh, they know I love meat. I used to eat meat in every meal from when I was just a child. It's delicious! And it provides nutrients that plant-based nutrients aren't able to. Sure, there are substitutes. But once you've had a taste of freshly made meat dishes that melt in your mouth, it's hard to let go.

I had been warming up to a lifestyle change based on a Korean TV show I enjoy watching every Saturday. No, not Infinity Challenge. It's called The Human Condition and on this show, comedians face a realistic challenge of making do without water or without electricity, without cell phones/ TV/ Internet and so on and so forth. It's an excellent show and quite entertaining as well as informative. I strongly recommend it. I've linked the show above if you'd like to watch it!

So. The food documentaries. These films were featured on Netflix at my friend's place and I decided I would watch them. Because I'm a sucker for anything concerning food and I have been wanting to change my diet for quite some time.

The first film was called FoodMatters. It blew my mind how detailed and educating this documentary was on eating right. My goodness. I can quote things from the top my head because it was so easy to digest the information that was given. They emphasized repetitively, yes, but it was positively received on my end. It speaks about treating your body with the right food and vitamins to cure illnesses and unhealthy habits. I think the vital information from this documentary that I obtained is that food is highly nutritious when eaten raw, your body needs to constantly detoxify itself when you keep eating cooked foods, and vitamins do not have side effects when taken in large quantities and they cure all deficiencies. I plan on taking my vitamins daily and eating more raw foods as a result of the knowledge gained from this documentary.

The second film was called Hungry for Change, by the same producers who've made the previous documentary. This emphasized on the diet fad and how ineffective it was, as opposed to eating right. If your body absorbs all the nutrients it needs, you won't get any more cravings and you will no longer need to eat more to be happy. The problem comes from too much sugar in our diet, otherwise known as high fructose corn syrup, and MSG. These additives in our food make them addictive and make us crave more. Because sugar produces insulin in our body, a hormone that causes fat. They recommended juicing for an effective diet because you get all the nutrients and convenience in one tall glass. With heirloom greens to fuel and gelatinous and fibrous plants like chia and aloe to detox. The side effect? Weight loss and health gain. This regimen definitely works for me and I'm about to purchase a juicer within a couple weeks.

Lastly, but not in the slightest the least, Vegucated. True, it was my least favourite of all three food documentaries because of the emphasis on cutting out meats and dairy as opposed to adding more to your diet to be more healthy. Ultimately it does state all the facts and motivators to change, but it wasn't as positively received. The message conveyed was great, but the way this film rolled on, I wasn't too sold on going vegan anytime soon.

My final say is that I'm definitely more health conscious and willing to make changes in my lifestyle to accommodate all the right nutrients and hydrate myself well to be happy. Because happiness comes from within and there are vitamins that reduce stress and induce happiness (namely C and B3 respectively)! And we all need a little happy in our lives, wouldn't you agree?

The Wind Rises: A Review

The moral of this story was very clear from the start when the film started rolling.

“The wind is rising! We must attempt to live!”

"Le vent se lève! Il faut tenter de vivre!”

— Paul Valéry, Le Cimetière Marin

This quote was repeated multiple times throughout the movie to emphasize its importance - by many characters who influenced the direction in which the wind blew. It was evident that this was going to be one of those quiet meaningful films Miyazaki Hayao was known less for. If you were a fan of his feature length animations like I am, you would have known it would be a very serious plot with  tragedies along the way. Unlike many of his past feature length animations based on historical events, this one focused solely around the main character - Jiro Horikoshi. Miyazaki tends to emphasize the importance of family and sticking together to accomplish their dreams, these sorts of morals more so than individual dreams. Surely he wanted to focus on the love of Jiro and Naoko. No. He did not. Instead, this story took the viewer to even deeper depths of emotion than his other films.

One of his last works before retirement, and I would say one of the most memorable films of his career. It wasn't the most creative or original plot. But his portrayal of this main character, whose eyesight was too poor to be able to pilot a plane, was ingenious to say the least. It was only a given fact that Miyazaki would take him to the depths of despair and make him rise to the height of the clouds throughout the film. The end was as delightful as it was a burdended sorrow. Naoko would pass away in the absence of Jiro. His role model Caproni appeared since the childhood dream of becoming an aeronautical engineer enveloped his mind. He showed him the horrors of his work and what would come as a result. His boss Kurokawa was a humorous man with a big heart whose presence drew out a chuckle with his overreaction and simplicity in expression of emotions. The audience kindled their hearts to him as he did to Jiro. His role was to be the missing parental figure he lacked in Jiro's immediate presence. Jiro's parents made very few impressions in the entirety of the film. Kurokawa was a more significant character as a father figure and Jiro's father was never seen at all. His mother was beautiful and elegant as the designs he came up with. His sister Kayo is an outspoken, strong, and independent woman whose sharp wit and generosity of heart reached out to Jiro and Naoko endlessly. Castorp, the German whose brief presence at the hotel questioned many, provoked Jiro enough to fill the void in his heart by approaching Naoko and pursuing her. Castorp was a mysterious foreigner who critiqued Hitler's regime and left much too suddenly. Honjo is a faithful friend to the end and an ever present reminder of Jiro's unfulfilled destiny. He challenges Jiro and they inspire each other to keep pursuing their career until they could finally succeed in designing their dream planes.

Naoko Satomi. She was destined to meet Jiro again from the way they parted near the beginning of the film. It was foreseen by the audience. For certain. Her role in this film would be that of a sacrificial lamb that gave her life to support a bigger dream of her husband's. He would continue to work and slave away even while she was sick and slowly journeyed to her deathbed alone. As tragic as this story seems, he rose above the wind and lived. He accomplished his goals and made his dream a reality through the desertion of his family and the love of his life. Some may look back on the comment made by Kurokawa in the cab when he stated that he thought Jiro would marry an airplane, and in some aspects, Jiro was more attached to designing planes than anything or anyone else. He neglects his health by eating sponge cake for dinner and constantly smoking. The only constant in his life from his childhood remains until the end, his dream of designing airplanes.

Ultimately, he succeeds in designing the perfect plane. Caproni congratulates him and invites him for wine - but not before relaying the message that planes are only dreams and will get lost in the sky where they belong, along with Naoko. This tragedy is bittersweet because Jiro is finally free of the burden of accomplishment and success. All the hopes of his supporters are met with grandeur. In a sense, Naoko is buried under the blueprints of his plane's designs. Her support and love gets Jiro the fuel he needs to soar above the clouds. As much as he needs her, he is painfully selfish in coming to his own conclusion as an aeronautical engineer and seeing his plans come to life as another passes on.

My final thoughts on this film linger between misery and happiness. As Jiro would feel, the loss of his love and the gain of his successful career. It is a complex feeling that induces much thought even after the credits have rolled and keeps me looking back to analyze his actions. The story has ended but the film leaves much thought to the viewer as unresolved murder scenes would to detectives and forensic scientists.