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An Honest Review of “Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead”

written by Parita 5 Comments

I’m a huge fan of the fact that there are so many health related documentaries on the market these days. In fact, Food Inc. was what pushed me into the vegetarian camp. And even though I know that these films are very one-sided, I always get sucked in! That’s exactly what happened with Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead, a documentary which focuses on juicing as a way to drastically improve health and wellbeing.

Fat Sick and Nearly Dead
Source

The story begins by introducing the audience to Joe Cross, an Australian salesman who decides to go on a 60 day cross-country road trip while doing a juice fast. Joe is not only overweight but he’s also suffering from an auto-immune disease that resembles hives. During his trip, Joe meets Phil Staples, a morbidly obese and seemingly depressed truck driver. Joe convinces (inspires) Phil to try juicing as a way to improve his health.

Of course, there’s a little more to it, but the basic premise is that Joe and Phil both go on intense juice fasts to improve their health – lose incredible amounts of weight, get off their medications, and basically save themselves from early deaths.

I’ll start with what I appreciated about the film.

  • I’m not a huge fan of juicing, but I do agree with the central premise of the film. Many health problems can be reversed with dietary changes. And I’m referring to good old fashioned healthy eating.
  • Even though this was a very drastic change in the diets of these two men, the film did hone in on the fact that the key to health is sustainable change.
  • Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead does a good job chronicling both Joe and Phil’s healthy living transformations (both physical and mental). They are pretty incredible.
  • I also liked that both men were carefully supervised by doctors and nutritionists. That sends an important message, especially if someone is considering a radical change.

And now, here are a few things that had me scratching my head.

  • 60 DAYS OF JUST JUICING!?!?! I still can’t wrap my head around this.
  • After years of trying to figure out what healthy looks like for me, I’ve come to the conclusion that the old 80/20 (80% diet/20% exercise) adage is true. Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead could’ve done a better job of focusing on the 20% instead of just mentioning it here and there.
  • By focusing on what medications these men are on and how the juice fast is helping them do away with certain pills, the documentary does the audience an injustice by making it seem like changes in diet have WAY MORE of an impact (almost miraculous) than medication when it comes to treating diseases.
  • To the point above, Joe manages to lose 90 pounds, get off most of his medications, and alleviate the effects of his auto-immune disease. In just 60 days. Don’t get me wrong…good for Joe! But is he more the exception than the rule? If so, that point didn’t come across.
  • Everything I said in this non-juicer whole juice post.
  • While the documentary harps on all the positives of juicing, it doesn’t address the general topic of healthy eating, which is the more sensible and sustainable approach. And I have to think that after this “juice reboot” as they call it, both Joe and Phil had to navigate difficult food choices to stay on track. I feel like this wasn’t touched on enough.

Overall, Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead accomplished what it set out to do, but like any documentary, it all needs to be put in perspective.

Have you watched Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead?  Thoughts?  What’s your favorite health related documentary?

Written on January 30, 2015 Related:Health, Nutrition, review

The Non-Juicer Whole Juice

written by Parita 21 Comments

Juicing is the new “it” thing to do.  I’m convinced because the word juice is everywhere I look – articles, blog posts, grocery stores, Starbucks, etc.

To be honest, I am not 100% sold on the idea.  IF it’s the only way you can manage to get your daily dose of fruits and veggies, then fine.  Do what you have to do.  However, when you eat the whole fruit (skin, fiber, etc.), there are so many added benefits, with satiety and additional nutrients being two big ones. 

I won’t deny that juice tastes good…really good!  If I could afford to visit Whole Foods a few times a week for their delicious juices, I would do it.  And if we lived in a larger apartment with more storage, I would’ve happily taken my in-laws’ juicer off their hands when my MIL offered to give it to me. 

With that being said, I have found a (new to me) way to enjoy fresh juice at home.  Juice that tastes delicious, is filling, and incorporates the whole fruit.  I call it the “non-juicer whole juice.” 

Since this was my first time making juice, I decided to go with the fruit only variety.  I pretty much grabbed all the fruit we had on hand.  Next time, I’m going to be a little more adventurous and incorporate carrots, ginger, and maybe some celery.  The options are endless!

Juice 024

I’ll be the first to admit that I went a little bit overboard with my fruit selection.  What can I say?!  I was excited!

Note: While I didn’t use a juicer to make this, I did use my Blendtec, a high-power blender.  The Blendtec has a digital interface with one of the options being “whole juice.”  I’m honestly not sure how this would fare with more traditional blenders.  However, it seems that many major brands are coming out with affordable high-performance blenders, so it may be worth a try if you own one of those.

Non-Juicer Whole Juice
Yields approximately 48 ounces of juice

1/3 cup blueberries
5-6 large strawberries
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and coarsely chopped with skin on
1 peach, coarsely chopped with skin on
1 orange, peeled
3-4 cups of ice cubes

Add all ingredients to the blender, with the ice cubes being last.  Blend using the “whole juice” option.  Pour and enjoy!

Juice 026

This juice was fairly thick, not too sweet/a little tart, and super filling.  Vishnu suggested that next time I stick to 2-3 fruits versus 5.  Honestly, I’m not sure what I would change – use half of the apple, add a banana and/or pineapple for added sweetness, add veggies…we’ll see!  I can see myself having a lot of fun with this!  The blender is like an open canvas – create what you will!

Juice 025

Are you a juice lover?  What’s your favorite combo?

Written on July 10, 2013 Related:Food, Health, Recipe

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