Documentary Review: The Invisible Vegan
/Where I live, veganism isn’t a mainstream way of life. I’ve done a lot of research on my own, and due to chronic health concerns, over the years I’ve tried several types of diets including vegan, gluten-free, and paleo, as well as giving up other things such as sugar and caffeine.
Each time I’ve made dietary changes, there have been comments from people around me that suggest more education is needed to explain the health benefits of veganism, so I was excited to hear about The Invisible Vegan documentary.
The Invisible Vegan is directed by Jasmine C. Leyva and includes commentary from health professionals, athletes, researchers, chefs, and more. It features Cedric the Entertainer, John Salley, Stic of Dead Prez, Dr. Milton Mills MD, Tracye McQuirter MPH, Dr. Psyche Williams-Forson, Lauren Ornelas, Christopher-Sebastian McJetters, Dr. Nana and Ama Opare, Xavier Brown, Lillian Hill, Lezlie Love, Genesis Butler, Siatta Adams, Breeze Harper, and Nina Curtis.
While this documentary focuses on veganism in the African-American culture, there were a lot of things I found myself nodding along to. Most notably, there are a lot of stereotypes associated with why you should or shouldn’t be vegan. Even in the medical community, where they operate on the disease model, there seems to be a need for education. Here they focus on band aids, such as pills that alleviate symptoms, rather than lifestyle changes that could eliminate issues altogether.
The Invisible Vegan discusses how soul food is a big part of the African-American culture and vegan food isn’t thought of in this way at all. But the thing with vegan food is that it heals the whole body, including the soul. Soul food may have been named so because it is comforting, but it’s not necessarily healthy. It’s time to change perceptions and focus on how food that heals you can be a comfort in itself.
There are many diseases associated with eating dairy and meat, but what surprised me the most was their impact on the reproductive systems of both men and women. In women, eating animal foods are the leading culprit of fibroids, and in men, dairy is a major contributor to prostate cancer.
Another surprising reason discussed for not eating a vegan based diet are the sociocultural beliefs that it’s feminine to be vegan, and somehow you’re not a man if you don’t eat meat. As someone who’s tried to adopt a vegan lifestyle in the past I have been laughed at for no apparent reason, so I guess I shouldn’t have been that surprised.
A common reason cited in the African-American community for not making the change to a vegan diet is the availability of healthy food. In some areas, this is a legitimate concern, and there are organizations working to make healthy food available to everyone, regardless of income level or place of residence.
In addition to destroying our health, eating a diet of animal-based products is also taxing on the planet and has been found to be an inefficient way to eat when you consider the amount of crops grown to feed animals and then how many people those animals feed.
Clearly, more education is needed around the benefits of a vegan lifestyle choice.
Here’s what director Jasmine C. Leyva has to say about her film:
The Invisible Vegan is a 90-minute independent documentary that explores the problem of unhealthy dietary patterns in the African-American community, foregrounding the health and wellness possibilities enabled by plant-based vegan diets and lifestyle choices. The documentary begins with the personal story of Jasmine Leyva, a 30-year-old black actress and filmmaker currently based in Los Angeles. Over the past seven years, Leyva has committed herself to veganism, both in lifestyle and research.
I learned a ton from watching this film and highly recommend it. Even if you aren’t African-American, the film will give you lots to think about and lots of ideas where you can take action in your own life.
To learn more about The Invisible Vegan, check out the film’s website here. A huge thank you to WOW! Women on Writing and Jasmine C. Leyva for the review copy! Read what others had to say about the film by following the blog tour below.
March 22nd @ WOW! Women on Writing
Join us today when we celebrate the launch of our very first virtual film tour featuring Jasmine Leyva's eye-opening documentary, The Invisible Vegan. Find out more about this incredible film, read an interview with the director, and find out how you can stream it.
https://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/
March 22nd @ Plant to You
Check out Carleigh's blog for her recommendation of The Invisible Vegan.
March 24th @ The Faerie Review
Find out more about the documentary The Invisible Vegan and how you can stream it online today.
https://www.facebook.com/TheFaerieReview/
March 27th @ Boots, Shoes, and Fashion
Visit Linda's blog where she reviews Jasmine Leyva's film The Invisible Vegan.
http://bootsshoesandfashion.com/
March 28th @ Lady Unemployed
Visit Nicole's blog today where Lisa Jones is a guest reviewer and shares her thoughts of Jasmine Leyva's documentary The Invisible Vegan.
March 29th @ AJ Sefton's Blog
Join AJ as he reviews the eye-opening documentary The Invisible Vegan.
https://www.ajsefton.com/book-reviews
March 30th @ Strength 4 Spouses
Wendi shares her insights into the documentary The Invisible Vegan.
https://strength4spouses.blog/blog/
March 31st @ Merc With a Movie Blog
Visit this movie blog today and find out their review of The Invisible Vegan.
http://www.mercwithamovieblog.com/
April 2nd @ Knotty Needle
Seeking to transform her own eating habits, blogger Judy Hudgins shares her insights about the documentary The Invisible Vegan.
http://knottyneedle.blogspot.com/
April 2nd @ Brookes Bookstagram
Visit Brookes Instagram page today to read her review of The Invisible Vegan.
https://instagram.com/brookes.bookstagram
April 5th @ Michelle Cornish's Blog
Join Michelle as she reviews the documentary The Invisible Vegan.
https://www.michellecornish.com/blog
April 7th @ Sioux's Page
Sioux shares her own insights into the documentary The Invisible Vegan.
https://siouxspage.blogspot.com/
April 12th @ Look to the Western Sky
Join Margo as she shares her insights into the film The Invisible Vegan and interviews the director Jasmine Leyva.
April 15th @ Wild Hearted
Join Ashley as she reviews the film The Invisible Vegan
April 16th @ Diary of a Smart Chick
Join Kathryn as she reviews the eye-opening documentary The Invisible Vegan.
http://diaryofasmartchick.com/
April 18th @ Leafy Souls
Join the team at Leafy Souls and read their insights into Jasmine's powerful documentary The Invisible Vegan.
https://leafysouls.com/blogs/vegan-blog
April 19th @ Carole Mertz Blog
Join Carole as she reviews the film The Invisible Vegan and shares her insights into this powerful documentary.
April 21st @ Deborah Adams' Blog
Join Deborah as she reviews the documentary The Invisible Vegan.
http://www.deborah-adams.com/blog/
