I'll admit it, by no means am I even comparable to the late Roger Ebert. I can't write a synopsis or a critique of a film's brilliance or disgrace in the way that he could. However, I do know when a documentary should be seen because it will cause one to think the next time they put food in their mouth or reconsider their purchases the next time they go to a grocery store, and this is a list of them (in no particular order). You'll find all of them on Netflix, except for "Fresh," which you'll have to rent or buy. Many of these documentaries have some overlapping points but they all have a different message about eating more mindfully in the end. Some people say they don't care or that they can't do anything to help, but they should care and they can help, and here's why. Together we can change how messed up our food system has become. Together we can vote with our forks and tell Congress that we don't want lobbyists for Big Food to have a say in what we eat. Together we can change the course of the future through the purchases we make at the grocery store. Together we can start a movement. A movement that is already in the making. A movement towards a healthier body and world.

1. "Cowspiracy"

Did you know it takes about 2,500 gallons of water to produce a pound of beef and 1,000 gallons of water to produce just one gallon of milk? Or that 2,500 dairy cows produce approximately the same amount of waste as roughly 400,000 people? This documentary focuses on the effects of raising of animals for food consumption. The film provides many facts and statistics as to why the animal agriculture industry is so environmentally taxing and why it is unsustainable. It won't necessarily make you vegan, but it will sure open your eyes to your environmental impact. A must watch for everyone who consumes animal products!

2. "Food Matters"

"Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food." - Hippocrates

This quote appears in the first couple seconds of the film and is really the overarching idea of the documentary. The people in this film believe that the food we eat has the ability to keep us healthy and from getting sick versus us popping pills. They argue that the top two killers in the US, heart disease and cancer, are preventable for the most part if we partake in a healthy diet and avoid eating processed junk food. Many diseases are preventable, and this film makes a very valid case for it. Remember, you are what you eat!

3. "Forks Over Knives"

Why, despite more medications being prescribed than ever, are we so sick? Why are so many people overweight and obese? Why are the top three killers in our country mostly related to lifestyles? Dr. T. Colin Campbell and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn performed research and came to a conclusion that the main cause is the consumption of refined foods and animal products. The film focuses on the health aspects of a whole-foods, plant-based diet and will be sure to open a couple of minds.

4. "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead"

This is based on a camera crew following a man who is very overweight and very sick around on his journey to lose weight. In this documentary, he loses his weight through juicing and exercise and helps open other people's eyes to the power of juicing as well. Juicing and "rebooting," as Joe Cross calls it, may not be the answer to all of our problems, but it will make you think about the power of fruits and vegetables.

There is also a second one on Netflix. It's quite interesting because people talk about how the reboot changed their lives completely and helped them get off of many of their medications, lose weight, and/or become unaddicted to processed foods. One woman even said it helped her fibromyalgia go away and not be a problem to her anymore! Some of the people's stories are really quite incredible.

5. "GMO OMG"

What is a GMO? Why do some companies use GMO? Why aren't GMO crops allowed in many parts of Europe? What effects do GMOs have on our health and the future of the world? The director of this film seeks to find the answers to these questions, and many more. This documentary might make you think twice the next time you reach for produce in the supermarket.

6. "Fed Up"

Have you ever thought about why chips, ice cream, and soda are so good and what effect they have on your body? If not, this video will make you think. Fair warning, it involves overweight children discussing their addiction to food and their unhappiness with their body. It's heartbreaking.

7. "Hungry for Change"

Most people are not as healthy as they want to be. It's the truth. But why is it that way? This film focuses on our consumption of food-like products and how companies are able to draw consumers in and keep them coming back for more. You'll definitely think twice about why a cereal box looks the way it does or why a company put a certain ingredient in its product after this documentary.

8. "Vegucated"

This is a very interesting documentary that takes three people and has them adopt a vegan lifestyle for six weeks as an experiment. It is kind of an inside look to the vegan way of life and what one might encounter while partaking in a vegan diet. This will for sure make you consider at least trying it, especially after the video of the meat processing plant.

9. "Food Inc."

What image do you conjure up in your head when you picture a farm? Happiness, sunshine, animals frolicking in a open field, ripe fruits and vegetables begging to be picked? "Food Inc." will definitely burst that bubble as it exposes what really happens behind the scenes of most of the food we consume today and where it actually comes from. This quote in the film from Michael Pollan says it all: "The industry doesn't want you to know the truth about what you're eating, because if you knew the truth, you might not want to eat it."

10. "Fresh"

This documentary aims to shine a light on conventional farming and how detrimental it can be to the world. This also explains why organic food and farming is so good for the world and our health, even though it has a higher up-front cost than non-organic food. Your eyes will surely be opened as to why you should probably shop more mindfully and reach for an organic option next time you need groceries.