I saw a documentary this weekend called “Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead.”  An Australian man was diagnosed with a disease that had him on heavy doses of prednisone to handle the pain, discomfort, and skin blistering breakouts.  Joe Cross like many Americans and Australians, was not only obese, but a workaholic, putting his career before his health.  Joe’s disease was a wake-up call for him.  He knew that his health issues and being on the prescriptions would eventually kill him.  He decided to take drastic measures to change his life.  He went on a 60-day green juicing fast and traveled across America sharing his mission (and his juice) and interviewing Americans about their health. 

 Joe’s weight fell off as he nourished his body with only plant juice and his disease started to subside and completely cleared up.  His doctors were able to slowly take him off his prescriptions as his body started to learn how to heal itself again.  That part of the movie was touching but not alarming.  What struck me deep into my core were the interviews Joe did during his journey from NY to CA. 

 

During Joe’s interviews, it was clear that many Americans are in denial about their health and they way they live.  They are so consumed with fast, fatty, processed foods many simply don’t care about their health.  Open heart surgery, no problem.  Many Americans have it done, what is the problem with that?  “I want to die happy and will eat what I want to eat,” was a common response not only in the movie but what I personally hear a lot.  I was really saddened from hearing these responses from Americans.  We have gotten so far away from eating plants.  How did we come to a place where eating plants (or being Vegan) is the oddity?  When I tell people I don’t eat animals (or their secretions), they think I am from another planet.  Aren’t we supposed to eat plants?  Isn’t nature here for our nutrition and healing?  Then why when you look at someone’s lunch can you not identify any plant foods?

 

People are so emotionally tied to unhealthy food that I tend to think the emotional aspects of food goes back many generations.  Perhaps at a time when crops weren’t doing well and people had to hunt animals to survive, there was an emotional tie created.  And eventually eating animals turned into a sign of wealth.  I feel that the more we have gotten away from eating plants and losing compassion for animals, the more disconnected we became to nature, both physically and spiritually. 

 

Somewhere our society has started to bury emotions with unhealthy eating to a point where they cannot stop.  It is an addiction so deep they would rather get operated on than eat some kale.  How did we get here and how can we compassionately direct society to a healthier way of living?  In my passion to helping others, I would love to hear from you. 

 

Read more about Joe’s story and his journey to health.