Thursday's Thoughts & Things

This week, my mind has been on MOVIES!!!  It's super hot outside, which means I'm happy inside with my AC... and NETFLIX, AMAZON, and YOUTUBE!

Sugar!

I watched That Sugar Film -- which is essentially a documentary a kin to SuperSize Me only the narrator eats 40 teaspoons of sugar per day instead of binging on McDonald's.

Damon is the star of the film as well as the sole participant in this one man experiment.  He and his wife live off of "clean" foods -- a somewhat Paleo diet that's focused around lean proteins, healthy fats, and fresh produce.  This starting point, so the movie claims, will be a stark juxtaposition to what a "normal" diet would consist of.

The rules were simple, he's supposed to consume no more than 40 teaspoons of sugar per day while consuming only "healthy" foods; things labeled as low fat or a healthier option.  He stayed away from "junk" foods; milkshakes, candies, etc... and focused on "hidden sugars" or sugars that you wouldn't suspect a food to contain.  Foods like pasta sauce and crackers are full of these hidden sugars, but so are lowfat yogurt options.

Apparently, as foods are lowered in fat they are also raised in sugar to keep them palatable.

In one scene, the first breakfast of the experiment, Damon reached 20 teaspoons of sugar in one meal.  This breakfast consisted of cereal, a glass of orange juice, and lowfat yogurt.  It shocked me to think that this is a "normal" breakfast for so many.  To start the day with so much sugar, but very few nutrients, is dizzying.

The film is set in Australia, but travels to the US for portions of the film.  One portion of the film discusses the plight of the aborigines as they struggle on the "Standard" Australian Diet.  As they were living completely off the land less than  100 years ago, their rapidly declining health is attributed almost solely to the shift in diet from whole foods to sodas, chips, and crackers.

I would definitely recommend this as a watch for anyone focused on fully nourishing their bodies... it'll start a habit of checking labels on foods & eating single ingredient foods with sunshine in them!

Ex Machina

This one was a recommendation from a friend and is a sci-fi meets thriller that'll leave you thinking.

Hubby and I discussed this during and after the film. 

Basically, this movie discusses Artificial Intelligence and how one computer might pass the Turing Test -- a way to gauge whether a computer has consciousness or not.

Caleb, a young coder, wins his company's contest to spend a week with the boss at his massive and very high tech estate.  The boss, a la Steve Jobs, is a weird and intense and slightly off dude with lots to share. 

At this estate/research facility, Caleb meets Ava -- the AI prototype developed and in need of testing.

Very intense... but super engaging

I recommend watching -- but maybe with your spouse or your friends, so you'll have someone to discuss it with!

Movies I'd like to see

Free State of Jones

Suicide Squad

Star Trek Beyond

Ghostbusters

Miss Peregrines School for Peculiar children

Doctor Strange

Rogue One

**Note, most of these will not come out until later this year -- but I'M SO READY TO SEE THEM!!   :-D

What movies are you watching this summer?  

Do you have a favorite film that keeps you thinking?

 What's your favorite movie genre?

Let me know in the comments below ^_^