Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead

It’s official. We’re all pretty excited about brown rice at Chipotle! For good reason.

Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead

As you may or may not already know, Erik and I really like documentaries. I’ve learned a lot from them covering a wide array of topics. My favorite type of documentaries {not surprisingly} involve health and food in general. Not too long ago, we finally saw Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead.

Here’s a general synopsis borrowed from their Facebook page:

“100 pounds overweight, loaded up on steroids and suffering from a debilitating autoimmune disease, Joe Cross is at the end of his rope and the end of his hope. In the mirror he saw a 310lb man whose gut was bigger than a beach ball and a path laid out before him that wouldn’t end well-- with one foot already in the grave, the other wasn’t far behind. FAT, SICK & NEARLY DEAD is an inspiring film that chronicles Joe’s personal mission to regain his health.

With doctors and conventional medicines unable to help long-term, Joe turns to the only option left, the body’s ability to heal itself. He trades in the junk food and hits the road with juicer and generator in tow, vowing only to drink fresh fruit and vegetable juice for the next 60 days. Across 3,000 miles Joe has one goal in mind: To get off his pills and achieve a balanced lifestyle.

While talking to more than 500 Americans about food, health and longevity, it’s at a truck stop in Arizona where Joe meets a truck driver who suffers from the same rare condition. Phil Staples is morbidly obese weighing in at 429 lbs; a cheeseburger away from a heart-attack. As Joe is recovering his health, Phil begins his own epic journey to get well. What emerges is nothing short of amazing – an inspiring tale of healing and human connection.”

And if you don’t feel like reading all of that … an extended trailer:

After Thoughts

We really liked this film, and I would highly recommend it! It’s amazing how one man, Joe, who decided to go on a juice fast for 60 days while traveling and talking to people throughout the country, ended up starting an ongoing circle that helped change so many lives for the better.

It’s been a little while since we watched it and the one thing that stays with me is the hope and happiness that came with each life changed. One person in particular, Phil. You could see that he was so unhappy with his life, so tired of all his health problems he was engulfed in and yet apathetic, thinking nothing could really change. When Phil was ready, Joe stepped in and graciously helped him get started, kept him motivated and really cared to take time to invest in his life.

And slowly, through many struggles, hope arose in Phil, he lost tons of weight, realized he was worth the fight, and regained his health, regained his life.

Basically, it was a great film! Obviously a healthy diet is not just how we choose to eat but it’s a fun hobby for Erik and I. We love to cook organic, fresh ingredients together and because of that sometimes I lose sight of why we’ve chosen to eat this way simply because it’s so fun for us, ha. But in actuality, when quality of life is concerned, food really does matter.

Have you seen Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead? What did you think?

What is your favorite documentary?

For more info on the movie, check out their website.