Rebooting My Health: "Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead" Review & Challenge

Have you ever had so much good information, that you knew would help people, but didn't know quite how to say it in a short, quick way so they would fully understand? That's how I feel right now! I am spilling over with stuff I want to tell you! Last night my family watched a documentary movie called Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead  (you can watch the movie for free at that link). I wasn't sure how much we would relate to it, as we are not necessarily fat or suffer from illness. But, we decided to check it out and I am sure glad we did! A few words for you-- eye-opening and life changing. Over the course of the next week, I will be blogging about the changes we make and the effects it has on us, as a family!

The movie is about a 41 year old man from Australia, named Joe Cross. He was over weight, had an illness, and knew if he didn't change his ways, he would most likely die younger than expected. In an effort to turn his life around, he started a juicing regiment called Reboot. Basically, for 60 days straight he drank fresh juiced fruits and vegetables for all of his meals. In doing so, he succeeded in achieving a balanced lifestyle and reversing many of his dangerous health conditions! What is Reboot? It's a time to "reset" and cleanse your body, through the intake of vital nutrients, found in fresh fruits and vegetables. No diet pills or crazy diet plans! It involves a simple juicer (I use a Breville Fountain Juice Plus), lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, and pure dedication. Please note that a juicer is not the same as throwing your items into a standard blender. Juicing actually extracts the juice from your item and discards the pulp. Feel free to check out my post, What To Look For In A Juicer. It is unlikely that you would sit down three times a day and eat a bunch of vegetables and fruits in one sitting, such as-- 3 carrots, a bunch of spinach, 2 apples, half a lemon, and a beet. By juicing, you get all of those nutrients delivered straight to your body in one 16 oz. serving cup. I'll post my juicing recipes, as I experiment, under the Juicing Recipe Category! Feel free to tweak them to you own liking.

Feeling rather unhealthy lately, my family decided to take a one week challenge, in an effort to detox and cleanse our bodies (aka Reboot). I am not looking to really drop weight, as much as achieve overall wellness. After our challenge is up we will introduce a healthier life style as a permanent basis. My personal goal is to change my intake to a diet that mainly consists of vegetables, fruits, beans, and nuts, only consuming meat two days a week, and rarely consuming processed foods, white starches, and sweets. I will continue to juice as a supplement as well. This will allow the nutrients to attack the "bad stuff" in my body, giving me overall better health, weight control, and increased energy. I have no doubt that it will also cure some of the stomach pains I have had recently. Be sure to check out my Guide to Clean Eating, where I give you the low-down on what foods to avoid, and the reasons why. As in the movie, excessive weight loss can be achieved for those who do a longer Reboot program. For those who just want to cleanse your body and change your overall habits, you don't have to do the full 60 days, like Joe Cross did. Just remember, this is not a short-term diet, this is a life style change! If you are going to do a longer program, you should consult you doctor first. Although Joe, and many others, have been able to eliminate their medications, you want to be sure to consult your doctor before making any changes.

Research shows that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can decrease risk for things like cancers, cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and mental illness. They have also been credited to alleviating the day-to-day effects of constipation, headaches, migraines, fatigue, aches and pain of joints and muscles, and fibromyalgia. It will also promote increased energy, and healthier skin, hair, and nails. The foods we eat have a direct link to the illnesses and diseases that are taking over our country. You are what you eat! The goal is to re-train your brain to crave fruits and vegetables!

Your juicing flavors will vary, based on the fruits and vegetables you select. In the morning you would juice more fruits, slowly adding more vegetables in the latter meals. For some, it is an acquired taste, that will grow on you in time. The great thing is, you can alter any recipe, by adding more of this or less of that. Celery and beets have a very strong flavor, as lemons and apples bring a sweetness to the drink. Each fruit and vegetable you use will bring a certain nutrient to your body. Don't be afraid to experiment! Also, there are certain fruits and vegetables that you will want to consider buying in organic form, as they have high levels of pesticide residues. Why go through the effort of juicing, only to be drinking pesticides, right? You can see a list of those fruits and vegetables here. Make sure you keep your juice refrigerated in a sealed container, as oxygen depletes the nutrients. You can make up a big batch in the morning, to consume through out the day if you prefer. Also, remember to drink plenty of water throughout the day, as juicing does not supplement that! I recommend you begin juicing on a weekend and stay close to a restroom for the first day or so :)

If you are not sure you want to jump all in, then I recommend you try a short weekend boost. Juice all of your meals for 3 days straight, then introduce plant-based meals for the remainder of the week. Then, integrate healthy micro-nutrients such as beans and nuts, as you continue to juice once a day, and consume solid fruits and vegetables. The goal is to stay as far away as possible from sweets and processed foods (pre-packaged foods, fast foods). For some, the first few days you may feel lethargic, have a headache, loose stools, or even feel nauseous. This is your body detoxing and trying to figure out what is going on. Keep it up, as a new found energy and health is just around the corner! The results will be life changing! Check out my 1 week Juicing Fast Menu & Schedule to get started! Have questions? Please feel free to Email me!

As a BzzAgent I received a free Sick, Fat, & Nearly Dead video, along with a guidebook, for review. All opinions in this review are 100% my own. See full Disclosure Policy here.