Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead!

     Well title of the movie Fat Sick and Nearly Dead says it all! Granted I'm not sick now, but it won't be long if I continue on the same path that I have been. This was another movie that I had started watching while doing something else. I wasn't really paying attention to it and never finished. Timing is everything! Once I really decided that I need to make a change in my life I decided to give the movie another go. 

For those of you that have not seen it yet, stop reading now click on the link above and go watch it. I'll wait. 

Ok as you may or may not have seen by now Fat Sick and Nearly Dead is a documentary film that starts out by telling the story of Joe Cross. Joe was 100+ lbs over weight but worse then that he suffered from a debilitating autoimmune disease (chronic idiopathic urticaria)   that had him taking steroids and other meds. His health was at the point that he decided that he had to change. He decided to give up the junk food and start green juicing. He embarks on a cross country journey with his juicer in tow, vowing to drink only green juice for 60 days. 

Now Joe's story is amazing all by itself. By the end of the 60 days he looses a ton of weight, starts on a path of healthy eating along with his juicing. And....was able to stop taking all the prescription medication for his autoimmune disease. Last I seen it has been over 5 years since his 60 day juice fast and has not had a single flair up. 

The real story though is that during Joe's cross country journey he talked to hundreds of people about the benefits of juicing. In Winslow Arizona he came across a truck driver by the name of Phil Staples. Phil weighed a whopping 429 lbs and was obviously in horrible shape both physically and mentally. While talking to him about his story and the benefit of juicing , Joe discovered that Phil suffers from the same autoimmune disease. Joe seems to take more interest in Phil after this and after having him sample some juice tells him that he ever needs help to give him a call.

Fast forward a couple months and Joe is doing great back home in Australia. He receives a disturbing call from Phil saying that he is at the end of his rope and needs help. This is when the real story begins. After visiting a doctor with Joe's help Phil starts on a 3 day Juice fast. 3 days turns into 30 and Phil is doing so good he decides to continue on his juice fast. 10 months after he started his juice fast Phil lost over 200 lbs and changed to a mostly plant based diet along with daily juicing. His health is restored and also off all medication for his Urticaria. 

I don't know if Joe really just came across Phil at a truck stop. But it doesn't really matter, its an amazing story. The kind of story that motivates others to make a change. The kind of story that has motivated me to make a change!