Photo courtesy of food inc.

If you haven’t seen Food Inc, you should. The documentary was featured on Oprah this week and on Oprah.com last year. The film is powerful, and guaranteed to change the way you shop and look at food forever. Here’s what one of our followers on Twitter, @ginarau said about the movie:

“Food, Inc was brilliant, horrific, inspiring, frustrating, moving…overall an emotional experience that I hope non-foodies see”

So, here’s 10 simple things you can do to change our food system:

1. Drink fewer sodas and sweetened beverages.
2. Eat at home more often, instead of eating out.
3. Support the passage of state and local laws to require chain restaurants to post calorie information on menus and menu boards.
4. Tell schools to stop selling sodas, junk food and sports drinks.
5. Meatless Mondays or Meatless Wednesdays. Go without meat one day a week!
6. Buy organic or sustainable foods with little to no pesticide use.
7. Protect family farms; visit your local farmer’s market.
8. Make a point to know where your food comes from (read labels!)
9. Tell Congress that food safety is important to you.
10. Demand job protection and fair wages for farm workers and food processors.

In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation’s food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government’s regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation’s food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. We have bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop, herbicide-resistant soybean seeds, even tomatoes that won’t go bad, but we also have new strains of E. coli—the harmful bacteria that causes illness for an estimated 73,000 Americans annually. We are riddled with widespread obesity, particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes among adults.

Dr. Nishant Rao is a co-founder of WellWire.com. He is a well-traveled naturopathic doctor and new father, practicing an integrative approach to create wellness in and around Los Angeles. Become a patient or discover his practice.

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Did you know that creator of Dannon yogurt, Daniel Carasso, died in May of 2009 at the age of 103? Find out why you should play in the fermented milk pantheon and how to make smarter probiotic purchases with Dr. Kassam.

Dr. Natasha Kassam is dedicated to facilitating the healing and wellbeing of her patients. Her passion is cardiovasular and pulmonary medicine. She practices at Bloom Natural Healthcare in NE Portland Oregon and is the host of askdrkassam.com.

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When it comes to the H1N1 flu pandemic this year, it seems like a lot of our patients have vaccine-related questions. Who’s at risk? What’s in this vaccine? Should I get it?

Tune in below as Dr. Natasha Kassam gets to the bottom of the H1N1 vaccine kerfuffle. Still have a question? Leave in the comment section.

Dr. Natasha Kassam is dedicated to facilitating the healing and wellbeing of her patients. Her passion is cardiovasular and pulmonary medicine. She practices at Bloom Natural Healthcare in NE Portland Oregon and is the host of askdrkassam.com.

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Do you have a leaky gut? Learn the multiple causes of leaky gut syndrome and how to test for it.  Understand how your GI system works and if your digestive problems are due to leaky gut with Dr. Igor Schwartzman.

Dr. Igor Schwartzman practices naturopathic medicine with a strong emphasis in women's health, hormone imbalances, and thyroid disorders at Whole Family Wellness Center in Portland, Oregon. He is a co-founder of WellWire.com.

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If you’ve got a case of seasonal allergies, the last thing you probably want to do is explore nature and workout outside. But it’s beautiful outside! So join Dr. Kassam and learn how to alleviate those symptoms and make exercising with allergies a less agonizing experience.

Dr. Natasha Kassam is dedicated to facilitating the healing and wellbeing of her patients. Her passion is cardiovasular and pulmonary medicine. She practices at Bloom Natural Healthcare in NE Portland Oregon and is the host of askdrkassam.com.

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It’s no secret that chocolate is an excellent source of antioxidants. Join Dr. Kassam as she discusses some of the recent research information on the benefits of consuming chocolate, as well as how to make health savvy cocoa choices.

Dr. Natasha Kassam is dedicated to facilitating the healing and wellbeing of her patients. Her passion is cardiovasular and pulmonary medicine. She practices at Bloom Natural Healthcare in NE Portland Oregon and is the host of askdrkassam.com.

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Don’t waste time with the process of elimination! Let Dr. Kassam introduce you to the five major organs of elimination and find out how you can optimize their functions with simple lifestyle choices.

Dr. Natasha Kassam is dedicated to facilitating the healing and wellbeing of her patients. Her passion is cardiovasular and pulmonary medicine. She practices at Bloom Natural Healthcare in NE Portland Oregon and is the host of askdrkassam.com.

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Spring has sprung, and with it, seasonal allergies. Need some help easing the sneezing? Dr. Kassam shares helpful tips for how you can decrease the severity of your symptoms.

Dr. Natasha Kassam is dedicated to facilitating the healing and wellbeing of her patients. Her passion is cardiovasular and pulmonary medicine. She practices at Bloom Natural Healthcare in NE Portland Oregon and is the host of askdrkassam.com.

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The risk factors of cardiovascular disease are many: family history, obesity, high cholesterol, hypertension, and smoking. Right?

Actually, there’s one missing: stress! Recent studies are solidifying the notion that physiological stress and the risk of heart disease are linked. Dr. Kassam explains what happens to your body during a stressful event and how chronic stress can affect your cardiovascular system and shares some tips on how to manage lifestyle stress.

Dr. Natasha Kassam is dedicated to facilitating the healing and wellbeing of her patients. Her passion is cardiovasular and pulmonary medicine. She practices at Bloom Natural Healthcare in NE Portland Oregon and is the host of askdrkassam.com.

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If you’re experiencing night sweats, depression, frustration, and headaches during menopause, you probably have a lot of questions (like, why is my vagina so dry?! Or, where are my car keys?!). Dr. Kassam shares the more useful questions that you should take up with your health care practitioner and some simple therapies for making a graceful transition to this new stage.

Dr. Natasha Kassam is dedicated to facilitating the healing and wellbeing of her patients. Her passion is cardiovasular and pulmonary medicine. She practices at Bloom Natural Healthcare in NE Portland Oregon and is the host of askdrkassam.com.

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Learn a few basic steps to take to help with IBS. Dr. Igor Schwartzman  explains a proper breathing technique that will promote your digestion and help reduce IBS symptoms.

Dr. Igor Schwartzman practices naturopathic medicine with a strong emphasis in women's health, hormone imbalances, and thyroid disorders at Whole Family Wellness Center in Portland, Oregon. He is a co-founder of WellWire.com.

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One good reason to take your temperature: it could indicate a thyroid problem long before it shows up on blood tests. How? Dr. Igor Schwartzman explains.

Dr. Igor Schwartzman practices naturopathic medicine with a strong emphasis in women's health, hormone imbalances, and thyroid disorders at Whole Family Wellness Center in Portland, Oregon. He is a co-founder of WellWire.com.

Photo by Jc Westbrook.

Even if you don’t have a gluten intolerance, you might want to avoid the stuff. But gluten is everywhere! In fact, it’s probably behind you right now, hoping you don’t watch the informative video below. But don’t worry, the protein found inside the endosperm (that’s the plant tissue) of grains like wheat, oats, rye, barley, and triticale is no match for Dr. Igor.

Dr. Igor Schwartzman practices naturopathic medicine with a strong emphasis in women's health, hormone imbalances, and thyroid disorders at Whole Family Wellness Center in Portland, Oregon. He is a co-founder of WellWire.com.