A Trail church is serving up its beliefs with a the showing of a documentary that advocates a low-fat whole-food, plant-based diet as a means of combating a number of diseases.
The Trail Seventh-Day Adventist Church is inviting the community to indulge in a free admission evening, when “Forks Over Knives” will be played and discussion and food samples will follow.
The documentary calls on a number of health specialists and researchers who claim that degenerative diseases can be controlled or even reversed by rejecting animal-based and processed food.
“We can't control a lot of things in life but we can control what we eat,” said church member Val Egulf. “If we can do our part, we have a far better chance of aging gracefully.”
The self-proclaimed “flexitarian,” a vegetarian who once in awhile will eat meat, has been an advocate for plant-based diets, helping run vegetarian cooking classes out of the church. She hopes to get this started again in October with her cooking class partner Barbara Ross.
“I'm the one that cooks and she's the one that talks,” explained Egulf.
Nutrition is one of the church's eight natural laws, says Ross, noting exercise, drinking lots of water, getting out in the fresh air, soaking up sunshine, having regular rest, temperance and trusting in the divine power as the remaining.
Ross, 65, has been a vegetarian for 30 years, a choice she made when she became acquainted with the church.
Though she's always been in good health, her husband Eric developed heart disease but a change in lifestyle in his 50s has led him to maintain his health now into his 80s. The couple continues to walk nearly five kilometres a day.
Egulf coins Eric's as one of the many success stories people share once they make these lifestyle changes, ones that can start at the table.
“If you eat things that are going to be best for your system then it's going to run smoothly,” she said. “Just like a car, if you put oil in it and change the oil regularly, it's the same with your body.”
“Forks Over Knives” will be played at the Trail Seventh-Day Adventist Church, across from Kiro Wellness Centre, at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
The East Trail church runs its regular service Saturdays with Bible study at 10 a.m., worship at 11 a.m. and a vegetarian meal to follow.
For more information on the church, visit www.trailadventist.ca