Reviews with TLC

Food Matters by Mark Bittman is a well written examination of the food industry and the way we eat. It looks into all the ways the food industry manipulates people to eat things they shouldn't eat in order to increase profits. Bittman discusses his journey to change his eating habits to improve his health and to make food choices that are a more positive influence on the Earth. Food Matters reminds people of the role of food in life and the importance of understanding the difference in real food and food-like substances. Bittman tries a little too hard to find ways to bring people to make changes in their eating habits in that he seems to offer loopholes to many of the suggestions he makes. Food Matters  offers insights and interesting facts that will surprise some, confirm what others know, and at the very least give readers something to think about.

I watched Helen starring Ashley Judd and Goran Visnjic last night. Judd played the role of a depressive brilliantly, but Visnjic stole the movie in his beautiful portrayal of a man losing his wife to her depression and his pain at her rejection and betrayal. That said, I had to wonder how realistic it is for any person  to be so giving and loving in the face of the cruelty that comes with that kind of suicidal depression. There's a point in the movie where his character, David, refers to Helen as a shadow of herself - paraphrased - that just broke my heart. This is not a happy-go-lucky, depression gets cured now let's all go live happily ever after kind of movie. It portrays the reality that people suffering from clinical depression may go years without going into a depressive state only to have one onset for no discernible reason. Depression is really the central character with Judd and Visnjic serving as the tools to deliver the message. I found the story touching and the