The four-part Netflix documentary You Are What You Eat follows four sets of twins as they endure an eight-week experiment designed to measure the effects of healthy eating and exercise. The twist is that one of the twins in each group eats a plant-based (vegan) diet, and the other a healthy omnivore diet.
The footage of the engaging and fun twins cooking and exercising is interspersed with video of famous politicians, restaurateurs, scientists, activists, doctors, farmers, and businesspeople discussing the faults in our current food system and the ways we can change it for the better.
The show is entertaining, eye-opening, and ultimately uplifting. While I’ve heard You Are What You Eat labeled “vegan propaganda,” eating fewer animal products is one of the best things you can do for both your health and the planet. I made the switch to a mostly plant-based diet over the last few years (as the four sets of twins have since the doc finished filming). Growing up in a meat-forward family, and a meat-favoring culture, it was a little weird at first. But since plant-based foods have gotten so much better, I don’t miss animal products much. And if I really want something meaty, I’ll eat it as a treat, especially in restaurants with mediocre vegetarian or vegan options. Though honestly, half the time the meat doesn’t taste nearly as good as I thought it would.
– Jim Miller
Watch: You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment | Netflix Official Site
