Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead - Documentary of Awesomeness

[Anew Leaf]

I watched a documentary this week called "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead."

Has anyone else seen it? I highly recommend it to anyone. It was informative, funny, insightful, and tear inspiring.

To sum it up, the author was extremely overweight and was fighting an autoimmune disease that was akin to chronic hives. He took 60 days and went to the US (he's an Aussie so swoon worthy accents ahoy!) and consumed nothing but veggies/fruits run through a juicer machine. He started at 330 lbs (or thereabouts) and lost almost 80 lbs in the 60 days. He went from taking a slew of pills each day to not needing to take a single pill by the end.

The most amazing part was that he randomly met a truckdriver in Arizona who was heavily overweight and had the same condition that he did. That guy tried the juicing diet for 10 days, then extended it to 30 days, and then went the full 60 days. He lost around 90 lbs in those 60 days, and at the end of 9 months had lost a total of 220 lbs. (He started at 429.)

The truckdriver in turn inspired his brother to get healthier and started a community event around it as well.

So in that spirit, and also because New Years is peeking around the corner... I thought I would share this documentary with you all here.

Has anyone tried a diet like this? Or known someone who has?

I was already planning some kind of detoxifying diet to start the year, and now I am going to modify it slightly to be more like what this guy did. I have a Vitamix blender and so I am going to do the juicing idea but with the whole veggie/fruit instead and try that out. 3 meals a day for 10 days... We shall see what happens!

 

[Fidelia]

If I had a juicer, I'd be willing to try that...How much do juicers cost?

 

[prplchknz]

netflix has been reccomending me this documentary so maybe I'll watch it today or tomorrow

 

[Anew Leaf]

If I had a juicer, I'd be willing to try that...How much do juicers cost?

I think juicers range from $100-500 depending on features and brand, etc. With the new year, there is a good chance you could get one on sale.

If you have a blender, that could work too. Pure juicing works best for those who are really sick, overweight, having problems, etc. You lose all of the fiber when you juice, which is beneficial for keeping blood sugar down. If you plan to juice and have any blood sugar issues, I would suggest adding in some fiber via ground flax seed (store in freezer).

if you have any questions, please feel free to PM me. . (this goes for anyone!)

 

[EffEmDoubleyou]

I've heard about this documentary and I'm curious about it. Almost all the available research says that juicing isn't as healthy as simply eating the produce you would juice, but I'm a big believer that everyone's body is different and that not every problem or solution is universal. The results these guys got are enough to make me want to watch.

 

[Tallulah]

I watched this last week, and I was intrigued, as well. I really, really, really wish I had a Vitamix. I would use the crap out of that thing and I would definitely try a juice fast. It definitely seemed to do a lot of good for both those guys.

 

[kyuuei]

Going to watch this tonight. Will report back.

Initial thoughts: I'm a huge fan of blending vegetable and fruit smoothies--as I dont mind the chunky-like nature of consuming the entire vegetable in a more liquid-like state..

Edit:

thoughts on the movie: This was an amazing story, either way. I couldn't help but get all sniffly seeing Phil in his yellow shirt running. Seeing people motivated... I don't think there's anything quite like it.

I think it is definitely something worth looking into.. I'll have to meditate on this.

 

[prplchknz]

probably not going to watch it today or tomorrow just haven't been in a movie watching mood, been in a listen to pandora mood actually i want to do a crossword

 

[kelric]

I tend to think that it's got nothing much to do with "juicing" -- although there's certainly nothing wrong with drinking your fruits and veggies . It's probably much more about a massive change in diet instead -- no processed foods, fast foods, super-fatty stuff, and especially less caloric intake overall. Although I'd be a bit worried at the rate of weight loss those statistics mention... losing a pound a day just does *not* seem healthy at all. If anything, the juicer is something that just encourages eating better quality foods overall:

Juicing carrots and apples - "hmm, that sounds kinda good, maybe I should try that!"
Juicing a Big Mac - "oh dear lord, that's disgusting! *gag*"

Result: More carrots, fewer Big Macs = weight loss (and an overall healthier diet).

 

[Anew Leaf]

I tend to think that it's got nothing much to do with "juicing" -- although there's certainly nothing wrong with drinking your fruits and veggies . It's probably much more about a massive change in diet instead -- no processed foods, fast foods, super-fatty stuff, and especially less caloric intake overall. Although I'd be a bit worried at the rate of weight loss those statistics mention... losing a pound a day just does *not* seem healthy at all. If anything, the juicer is something that just encourages eating better quality foods overall:

Juicing carrots and apples - "hmm, that sounds kinda good, maybe I should try that!"
Juicing a Big Mac - "oh dear lord, that's disgusting! *gag*"

Result: More carrots, fewer Big Macs = weight loss (and an overall healthier diet).

I see what you are saying, and there is definitely truth in all of this.

The beauty of juicing is that it breaks the food down in a manner that we can't accomplish via chewing or digesting. The nutrients are easier for the body to absorb, and you get more of them. I was very surprised when I was researching the art and science of juicing to discover how different the nutrient content is in eating a whole tomato versus eating the juice of a tomato versus having it blended down.

and in regards to the weight loss. I agree that it seems like a very unhealthy amount in such a short amount of time. The guy who made the documentary and the guy he helped both got checked out by doctors on a regular basis throughout the process. I think that because they were so heavily overweight (the one guy was 429), that it sounds insane to lose 220 lbs in 12 months, but it is much different than someone who is starting at a lower weight, say 250 and losing half their body weight in that same time frame. Both men also had their blood tested often to check cholesterol, blood sugar levels, etc.

@ the juicing of a Big Mac!

 

[iwakar]

Phil Staples (the former truck driver) provided his Mean Green Juice recipe to a local paper. I paused the video and found the details online. Here it is for the curious:

Mean Green Juice Recipe

1 cucumber

1 good bunch of Kale

4 celery stalks

1/2 lemon (rind on ok)

one small knob (about ½ inch or less) of ginger root

2 granny smith apples (gala is good too)

 

[Stanton Moore]

I think juicers range from $100-500 depending on features and brand, etc. With the new year, there is a good chance you could get one on sale.

If you have a blender, that could work too. Pure juicing works best for those who are really sick, overweight, having problems, etc. You lose all of the fiber when you juice, which is beneficial for keeping blood sugar down. If you plan to juice and have any blood sugar issues, I would suggest adding in some fiber via ground flax seed (store in freezer).

if you have any questions, please feel free to PM me. . (this goes for anyone!)

I'm confused, because you need fiber. So how do you get it if you juice? Suppliment yout diet with oatmeal, etc?

 

[iwakar]

I'm confused, because you need fiber. So how do you get it if you juice? Suppliment yout diet with oatmeal, etc?

According to Wikipedia's link on juice fasting:

Because pure juice contains little to no fiber, juice fasters often use an enema or a herbal or saltwater laxative during the time of fasting to efficiently expel waste from the intestines and colon. Another method is mixing psyllium husks in with the juice. Because psyllium is not absorbed by the body but increases in volume greatly upon absorbing water, it creates the bulk necessary to keep the bowels moving.

Does fiber benefit us internally for reasons other than passing bowel movements? If not, this would suffice.

 

[Stanton Moore]

According to Wikipedia's link on juice fasting:


Does fiber benefit us internally for reasons other than passing bowel movements? If not, this would suffice.

3

I don't know. I think I would just eat some fibrous stuff, or eat the pulp too instead of just the juice.

 

[Anew Leaf]

I'm confused, because you need fiber. So how do you get it if you juice? Suppliment yout diet with oatmeal, etc?

If someone wanted to juice over making smoothies then they should be supplementing their fiber somehow. (juicing here is taking just the juice of the fruits and veggies versus blending the foods whole in a smoothie.). I have been doing more of a smoothie fast so I am getting all of the fiber from the foods, plus I add ground flax seed in.

I think doing just a straight juicing fast is best for those who are really sick, overweight, etc. I've seen some studies done with cancer patients who's bodies can't process high fiber, but they respond extremely well to simply juicing.

According to Wikipedia's link on juice fasting:


Does fiber benefit us internally for reasons other than passing bowel movements? If not, this would suffice.

Fiber also helps regulate blood sugar levels. If someone has issues with their blood sugar, they will have more problems drinking a cup of orange juice versus eating an orange. It also helps make you feel fuller faster.

3

I don't know. I think I would just eat some fibrous stuff, or eat the pulp too instead of just the juice.

Yeah, I think that is best too. Consuming the whole food is better than just one part. Having said that, you get more nutrients from the food if you break it down with a blender.

 

[jixmixfix]

I watched a documentary this week called "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead."

He started at 330 lbs (or thereabouts) and lost almost 80 lbs in the 60 days.

The truckdriver in turn inspired his brother to get healthier and started a community event around it as well.

So in that spirit, and also because New Years is peeking around the corner... I thought I would share this documentary with you all here.

Has anyone tried a diet like this? Or known someone who has?

I honestly think losing too much weight too fast is terrible on the body the cut the carbs and juicing thing sounds horrible there's no need to starve yourself. Best thing to do is to gradually cut the garbage you eat that contrains too much fat, and to some degree sugar and carbs. If you plan on losing weight give yourself a solid 6 months I'd say.

 

[spirilis]

Fiber feeds your gut bacteria, I know that. Otherwise I have no comment (haven't watched the documentary)

 

[Anew Leaf]

I honestly think losing too much weight too fast is terrible on the body the cut the carbs and juicing thing sounds horrible there's no need to starve yourself. Best thing to do is to gradually cut the garbage you eat that contrains too much fat, and to some degree sugar and carbs. If you plan on losing weight give yourself a solid 6 months I'd say.

I get what you are saying, however, they weren't starving themselves. They also both regularly checked in with their doctor to monitor various blood thingy levels. I think this kind of extreme measure is only viable when the person is extremely overweight and sick. From what I saw on the documentary, they both were doing some light exercise while being on the juice diet.

 

[jixmixfix]

I get what you are saying, however, they weren't starving themselves. They also both regularly checked in with their doctor to monitor various blood thingy levels. I think this kind of extreme measure is only viable when the person is extremely overweight and sick. From what I saw on the documentary, they both were doing some light exercise while being on the juice diet.

I just think the change in the body is too drastic although I would agree with it if your sick and have no other choice. There are alot of pro MMA fighters who constantly keep cutting to make their weight class and it has proven to be unhealthy.

 

[iwakar]

I have friends that employ their own juice fast habitually for a long weekend every 3-6 months just to keep their body on track. They said it helps maintain their weight loss (both having been very overweight at one point in their lives) and keeps them feeling "fresh". I've been implored to give it a shot. I'm thinking of trying a mini juice fast to see how I feel before taking on any big challenges.