Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead...the movie.

Wifey and I were searching through the NetFlix previews late one evening and came across an unusually titled movie: Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead.  It had a SuperSize Me feel to it and whether it was a good movie or not mattered little to me, I'd surely be nodding off in no time.

Turns out the movie is based on an Australian named Joe Cross.  At age 36, Joe had become the typical overweight, junk food junkie that so many people worldwide have become.  He had visited several physicians, acupuncturists, natural healers and the like to no avail.  He was on several medications and suffered from a skin disease called Urticaria (similar to a rash).

I'm not quite sure where he got the idea but Joe decided that his drastic health condition called for drastic action on his behalf.  He loaded up his luggage and headed for America to do the unthinkable.  Joe embarked on a 60 day juice fast.  For 60 days, Joe used a Breville BJE510XL Ikon 900-Watt Variable-Speed Juice Extractor to create a drinkable meal made solely from fruits and vegetables.  No meats, no dairy...for 60 days.

Joe Cross before and after 60 day juice Reboot.

Joe not only lost 100 pounds but completely got rid of his high blood pressure medication as well as his skin disease meds.  He utilized a physician to track his progress and had routine blood tests every couple of weeks to make sure he wasn't deficient in any category.

What made Joe's movie enjoyable was his choice in animations woven throughout the show and his man-on-the-street type interviews with average Americans.  Many people concured with Joe that we are what we eat and that we know we eat poorly.  The solution to the world's obesity problem lies in confronting our love for junk food.  Joe's travel across America on his 60 day juice fast, or Reboot, as he calls it inspired dozens of people. 



Joe was the inspiration for this truck driver.

 A small side story of the movie revolves around a truck driver Joe met who was severely obese and shared the same skin disease as Joe.  Since Joe always offers to share his knowledge of juicing with everyone he meets, it was only a matter of time before someone called him out.  The truck driver Joe had met called him after the Reboot was completed.  He contacted Joe in Australia and asked for Joe's help in starting his own Reboot.  You'll have to watch the movie to see how the truck driver's juice diet turns out but rest assured, the truck driver is now inspiring people all over his state.

Overall it was the type of movie that left me and Wifey smiling.  And for full disclosure, I'll go ahead and admit it:  Within a week, we bought a juicer.  We've talked about juicing for years but never could afford it.  Well, things are little better for us these days and Walmart had a Jack LaLlane juicer for $99.  We haven't attempted a Reboot ourselves but in all honesty, we're REALLY digging this juice stuff. I can now eat vegetables (drink rather) that prior to juicing, I couldn't stand no matter how you cooked it.

So, thanks Joe...if you're out there.  I now get a daily dose of broccoli, bok choy, and kale. Juiced with apples, strawberries and peaches, you wouldn't even know there was yucky stuff in that drink...except for the color!

As a side note, this turned out to be a great way to enjoy the fruits of my labor...literally.  I'm a new gardening fanatic (second season just finished) and I have mostly grown things that I knew I would enjoy like carrots, potatoes, corn and watermelon.  But Wifey and I also grew some things I wasn't too sure about, like cucumbers (she loves 'em, I can't stand 'em).  But with juicing, you can mix and match the good with the bad and still come out with a delicious beverage.

Here's the juicer used in the movie:

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Either one will work just fine.  If you like the "best of the best" then get the one for $299.  For me, you can't convince me that the difference between 900 watts and 1000 watts is THAT big of a deal.  At least, not big enough to merit an extra $100.

I've begun a juicing journal with pictures and recipes on a dedicated page here.

Have you ever tried juicing? Have you seen the movie Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead yet?

~OJD