Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead: A Modern-Day Epidemic

July 1, 2013|Weight Management|Caroline Sarda6

I recently watched the documentary “Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead”. It was created by and starred Joe Cross, an Australian business man in his early forties who was significantly overweight and sick. His story may sound quite familiar.

When he was young, Joe was athletic, thin, and had a promising future. He was a stock broker after college and eventually started his own company. He quickly became too focused on wealth and neglected his health.

Joe did what most of us would do. He started making poor lifestyle and diet choices. In no time at all, Joe was fat, sick, and nearly dead. He had no quality of life. Eventually reality hit. Joe was sick and tired of being sick and tired. It was time to look at his options.

Joe could either continue down the very slippery slope he was on or change his ways. The latter seemed like a better option. He’d didn’t like the R.I.P option much! Joe began searching his options, saw many doctors, and decided that he had to heal his body from the inside.

With the help of Dr. Fuhrman, M.D., a family physician who specializes in nutrition-based treatments for obesity and chronic disease, Joe embarked on a journey that would not only change his life, but would no doubt save his life. This journey involved drastic changes and lots of fruit and vegetables.

Here’s what really got me. Joe is no different than a large percentage of the American population. According to Dr. Fuhrman, 60% of the American Diet is processed foods with only 5% fruits and vegetables. This diet, which lacks beneficial and essential micronutrients aka vitamins and minerals found in fruits and vegetables, is killing millions of people every year. Dr. Fuhrman went on to say that the poor lifestyle choices we make cause about 70% of diseases. Smoking, alcohol, diet, and exercise are a huge contributing factor to disease, especially in diabetes, heart attacks, strokes, and cancer.

Our diet is only part of the problem. Most people live sedentary lives. Do you? Do you drive to work, sit at a desk all day, and come home to sit on the couch and watch TV? If you do, you’re not alone.  If you lack energy, are overweight, and/or just not as healthy or active as you’d like, you have a choice: a choice to eat healthy, exercise, reduce stress…As a good friend of mine likes to say, ” show self-love by self-care”. It doesn’t mean that you should go on a 60-day juice fast but there is so much you can do right now to reclaim your health and life. What a lovely gift to give yourself and your loved ones!

I recommend this documentary to everyone. It is not only a great wake up call to an every-so-growing problem, it is inspirational. It inspires change, what the start of a new life could look and feel like. You will also learn the benefits of juicing. If you don’t juice now, you may want to after watching this documentary. I have been juicing for years but want to take my health to the next level so am about to start a seven-day juice fast myself!

I’ll leave you with this. Close you eyes and imagine what your life would look like if you had a balanced and healthy lifestyle. Aren’t the possibilities endless? Be well, live well!

Your partner in health,

Caroline