Live a Healthier Life (Essay Sample)

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Live a Healthier Life
Summary
Joe Cross’s “Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead” is an American documentary that follows a 60-day journey of an Australian through the United States. During his journey through the U.S, Joe Cross maintained a juice fast in order to regain his health. He was also in the company of a nutritionist Doctor Joel Fuhrman. By following the fast and adopting a plant based diet, Joe Cross managed to lose 100 pounds. He also discontinued all his medication. Joe Cross met Phil Staples an obese truck driver and inspired him to try the juice fast. According to Joe Cross, he was a fat man who was sick and nearly dead. Six years before he shot the documentary, he weighed 22 stone and suffered from an autoimmune disease. This meant that he was on medication for a long time. Cross’s daily diet comprised of pies, pizza and doughnuts. This left him on low energy and in a dangerous condition.
For 60 days while in the U.S Joe Cross only drunk juice. After that, he changed to a plant based diet. For two years, his diet comprised of beans, seeds, vegetables, nuts and fruits. He abstained from processed or animal based foods. Cross’s plan worked because he was able to lose 6 stone. He also stopped taking medication for his autoimmune condition. Cross also indicated that his daily diet still comprises of plant based foods and a liter of juice. He only eats processed or animal foods occasionally, particularly during the night. The goal of Cross’s plan was to break the cycle of unhealthy lifestyle and improve the quality of his diet by increasing his intake of vegetables and fruits. This was based on the belief that taking vegetables and fruit juices stocks up the body with vitamins.
Response
Joe Cross’s documentary is an attempt to change the world by changing the lifestyle of people. His focus is on improving the eating habits of people, particularly obese and overweight people. He started with himself and chronicled his journey or transition from being unhealthy to maintaining a healthy weight. His achievement can be attributed to the strict adherence to eating vegetables and fruits. The aim of producing the documentary was to spread word on the importance of eating plant based foods, particularly in an era where people prefer fast foods. Cross’s approach to the issue based on juicing leaves a number of questions unanswered. For in...