Are You Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead?

I’m risking turning this blog into a giant healthiness eating rant, but besides the recipes, I have a couple of related things to talk about, so I’d better just get them out and over with. This post is the first. When roomie and I announced we were going to try and eat more vegetarian, we got suggestions from people. One of those suggestions was to watch a movie Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead. I’d actually heard of this movie before. I looked on Netflix and saw that it’s streaming on there. It’s also free online, for those without Netflix, including here at Hulu. I think that you should go watch it. Do it tonite, or this weekend! The premise of this movie at first seems a little duh and at the beginning I thought I might not make it through. There is a guy in Australia who was fat and sick. He had spent all his time working and doing other things, and didn’t take time out for his health. Somehow, I wasn’t paying attention at that point yet, he decides to go on a 3 month juice fast while traveling through the US and making a documentary. It doesn’t go super into the actual fast, but he starts off in NYC for a bit then goes on a road trip through the middle states. Along the way, he has people try his juices. They look good…made with whatever fresh stuff in his juicer. But that’s not the point. It made me very sad, because he was getting better. Not just his weight, but his health, he’s getting off meds, feeling better, thinking clearer, and showing this proof to people as he goes. But most of them don’t care. Oh, they believe him, but they don’t care. Yes, they say, I’m sick and unhealthy but oh well. They tell him they think they’ll die at 40 years old but it’s ok with them. They’d rather die early than put a bit of effort into their health. One couple said they get fast food about 28 days out of the month for their meals. EW. It was pretty shocking. How can people just NOT CARE? It’s their lives! And it’s affecting their loved ones too. It’s like they’re committing slow suicide. One woman in NY believes him and does a ten day juice fast and gets rid of lifelong migranes (well, she switches to eating healthy after the fast, that’s the key, of course). The switch over on the movie happens when a guy our main guy had talked to briefly earlier in the movie and given his contact info wakes up an realizes he’s dying, and contacts Australia guy for help. Then the rest of the movie, we see what happens to the truck driver and his family. This really hit home. I don’t care about the weight loss component, it was the healthy part. Our Australia guy ends up off meds, healthy, exercising, happy, clear minded and better in all aspects of life, not just his body. If you’re eating healthy and exercising, any weight you end up at seems fine. For myself, I think that I eat and exercise pretty well. But I know others who do not. Some members of my family included. Seeing the doctors say these people have such a short life span saddened me. Thankfully, no one I know is as bad as some of these people, all that fast food and such. But they’re sick too often. They can’t do what they want to do. I hope, for all of you out there like that, you will take a look at this movie and maybe be inspired. For yourself and your family and friends. Maybe, do a juice fast for ten days, thirty, ninety like these guys. Get a bit of exercise in. Doesn’t have to be every day. Baby steps, right? Start eating healthier. Eat real food, not chemicals. You’ll feel the difference. Maybe you’ll say you don’t care if you die young, you want to enjoy yourself while you’re here, but really, living like that, sick and hazy minded, it’s not living in a fun way. You can better your life now. I’m not saying be 100% good. But you can make an improvement, even a little. Have any of you seen this movie? What did you think? Did it make you sad, inspired, incredulous?