Hello my lovely readers! Sorry about being away for so long – it’s been over a week! But, I really needed to take some time to refresh and rejuvenate after completing the magazine. Now that I got my much needed “vacation”, I’m ready for lots more interesting posts and recipes. In the spirit of rejuvenation and change, I’ve been thinking about making a few changes to my current lifestyle in order to live healthier. Today, I randomly stumbled upon a new documentary ‘Hungry for Change’ and I just had to share it! It’s available online for free for another two days, so watch it soon. It’s one of the best food-related documentaries since Food Inc. If you loved Food Inc., I’m sure you’ll enjoy this one too!

‘Hungry for Change‘ is a film that reminds me of ‘Food Inc.’ and other food-related documentaries because it discusses the ill effects of the modern day food supply on our health. But that’s where the similarity ends. ‘Hungry for Change’ takes the thought process one step further and talks about how our health is in our hands, even though the food supply may be flawed. We all know what’s good for us (fruits, vegetables, etc.) and what’s bad for us, yet we still make poor food choices. The film discusses why we do that and how we can take steps to change our lives without resorting to “diets”.

You can watch the trailer on Youtube or just click below. I think the trailer is a tad dramatic, but I promise the film is worth a watch! It is currently streaming for free until March 31st, so I highly recommend you take some time out of your day today or tomorrow to watch it.

The first part of film touches upon a number of topics including processed sugar, artificial chemicals and the direct effects of food on our both our physical health and mental health. The last half of the documentary shines some light of how we can make changes to our lifestyles without making it seem like a difficult feat. Here are a few takeaways:

• Even though we all know we shouldn’t consume too much sugar, it’s difficult to stop because it’s an addiction. Processed foods are “engineered” to taste good and that’s one of the reasons why they contain copious amounts of sugar. Reduce your processed food intake and you’ll automatically reduce your sugar intake.

• Low fat isn’t necessarily good for you. Manufacturers replace the flavour lost from cutting down the fat by adding SUGAR. Read your labels. They are there for a reason!

• Diet colas can make you gain weight, contrary to what you would think.

• Read labels very CAREFULLY. Just because the box says blueberry on the front of it doesn’t mean the product actually has any blueberries. If you read the ingredients, you’ll see that commercial blueberry bits are actually made with chemicals such as propylene glycol. Just eat real blueberries, forget the fake stuff!

• Change your definition of sugar. Most of us think of sugar as the white processed stuff, but sugar can be found in pasta sauces, breads, salad dressings and more. Again, read food labels or better yet, limit your processed food intake.

• Don’t diet – they don’t work! A better approach to eating is to consume whole, real foods. If you’re just starting to eat healthy, don’t start by eliminating foods from your diet. Start by adding healthier foods such as raw vegetables, olive oil, etc. When we eliminate something, we tend to crave for it all the time and that’s why most diets don’t work. Just start adding more fruits and veggies to your meals and over time it will become second nature.

• Chia seeds, aloe vera, parsley, cilantro and fruit/veggies jucies should be your new “best friends” – they will help cleanse your system.

• If you make healthy eating a lifestyle, you’ll get proper nutrition that will reflect on your skin. Healthy foods = beauty foods. Just eat right and you won’t need those toxic skin creams anymore!

So, have you watched ‘Hungry for Change’? What did you think of it?