Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead — The Reboot Plan

Joe Cross and his sidekick, Phil, lost between them over 300 pounds on their Reboot Diet consisting of fresh vegetable and fruit juice.  I do the juice thing, and there’s nothing like it!  It’s invigorating, healthy and curbs one’s appetite.  Get inspired by reading about Joe and Phil, and watching their documentary, Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead. [Link to the trailer at bottom.]

[UPDATE: Enjoy this post, and then check out my juicing recipe and juicers: My Kick-Ass Rebooter Juice Habit and Juicing for Beginners (watch my six year old).]

THE OTHER night I was in front of my sister’s TV scanning for Netflix movie downloads.  In my humble opinion, most of the download offerings aren’t interesting, so I decided to check out the documentaries.

If I couldn’t be entertained, why not get educated.

What grabbed my eye was Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead, a documentary by and largely about an amicable, (no longer) fat and (no longer) sick Australian named Joe Cross.

I clicked the image, and the download Gods of the Interwebs promptly presented me Joe’s magnus opus. Soon, I got pulled into a sweet and moving story that to date has helped make well some pretty unhealthy people healthy (and thinner!) via the Reboot Diet.

 

The Story

Although Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead begins with Joe’s story and his unshakable determination to solve his physical issues via a 60 day juice cleanse, there is an important detour that, nonetheless, underscores the value of Joe’s approach and adds another wonderful success story to the film.

And that would be in the personage of “Phil”, a trucker who Joe bumps into along his journey who himself is fat (over 400 pounds), sick and nearly dead.  Joe makes Phil his project, and Phil gives back by sticking to the program and adding a lot of humility and pure sweetness to the story.  Moreover, Phil proves that even a grossly obese person with entrenched negative eating habits can completely revitalize himself.

Phil has lost over 200 pounds.  Joe, a smaller person, has lost somewhere more than 70 but less than 100 pounds
, if memory serves.

They, and the hundreds of others who have since this documentary was released, did this by doing fruit and vegetable juice fasting. This means you drink freshly made juice produced by organic fruit and vegetables by a juicer and you ingest only this for however long you’re willing to do so.

Sixty days for Joe and Phil.

[Interested in a chemical/heavy metal detox? Check out The Ultimate Chemical, Heavy Metal Detox endorsed by Dr. Mercola.]

 

My 2 Cents

Co-juicer in-arms, Isabella, who you can see in action here: Juicing So Simple, A Child Can Do It.

.

I have some experience with juicing.  I’ve done juice fasts and regularly drink a mostly-vegetable juice juiced up by my high powered Breville juicer every morning. (Scroll to the bottom to see it.)

Please take note of a few things:

1. The first thing to do is simply add freshly made vegetable/fruit juices to your diet.  Unless you’re a committed, disciplined type, don’t amend your current diet, just add the juice.  As the days go by, drink more and more of it, until you find yourself eating less and less of everything else.

2. If you’re a meat and potatoes type, don’t jump into a juice fast straight away. (See #1 above.)  Instead, start adding fruits and vegetables to your diet. Next replace meat and potato type meals with fruit, vegetables, quinoa and red lentils. Once all that’s accomplished, then try the juice fast.

Yes, perhaps like Joe and Phil, you could persevere through the inevitable detox headaches produced by a cold turkey plunge into the juice fast, but without the cameras following you around to steady your resolve, you might just fold and abandon the fast, and never return to the wonders of juicing.  Ease into this. If you could use a guide to move to a healthy diet, read my Diet 101.)

[Beware of the “Detox Effect” which I describe in the Reboot Diet and the Detox Effect . Also, read about the two commons struggles on the Reboot Cleanse]

3. Buy a really good juicer.  If it’s not easy to do the juicing, it will become the excuse to quit.  Mine is the top of the line Breville which I bought at a really good price at Amazon.com.

(See below, and if you’re price sensitive, know that there are cheaper Breville models, as well as reconditioned ones at Amazon.com)

4. Read the FAQs at the Reboot site and go here for tips on how to plan your life reboot with a juice cleanse.

I leave you with one more Reboot story.

This one is from TV’s Dr. Oz, who has his own Reboot diet that I wrote about last year: Dr Oz and the 14-Day Reboot Diet Plan. In contrast to the juice-based Reboot Your Life plan – the subject of this post – Dr. Oz’s Reboot Diet Plan is a 14-day program that focuses on the types of food and behavior that make us fat, and what to do about it from a doctors point of view.  Check it out at the above link.

Whichever reboot you do, do do (ha!) something to reboot your life.  You’ll thank yourself profusely.  Oh, if you need a kick in the pants, just watch the documentary, Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead.

The trailer to the Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead documentary is here.

Here’s the Breville Juicer that Joe Cross and I use. Click the image and learn more about it at Amazon.com, and there you can decide if it’s the juicer for you.


Last Updated on June 5, 2020 by Joe Garma

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Joe Garma
 

I help people live with more vitality and strength. I'm a big believer in sustainability, and am a bit nutty about optimizing my diet, supplements, hormones and exercise. To get exclusive Updates, tips and be on your way to a stronger, more youthful body, join my weekly Newsletter. You can also find me on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.

Click Here to Leave a Comment Below 32 comments
easy diet plans - July 31, 2011

I have
not much time, but I’ve got many useful things here, love it!

Reply
    Marvella Hamic - June 28, 2015

    just how can i contribute to find out more of your content?

    Reply
raw food diet - August 18, 2011

this is great. i would add this on my raw food diet plan.

Reply
    Theresa_rivet - March 27, 2012

     yes that good we are to…we are on a 30 day rawfood challenge and do love eating this way…we are gonna incorporate a 10 day juice fast …:)

    Reply
Etownhobbit84 - October 17, 2011

this bothers me cuz our ancestors lived off meat, don’t get me wrong fruit and veggies are a MUST, but you can’t just throw meat out the window.

Reply
    Joseph Garma - October 17, 2011

    Somebody’s going to have to “just throw meat out the window”.  In fact a lot of people, billions of people will have to do this because the simple truth is that the earth does not have enough resources to feed 6+ billion people meat.  There’s not enough water, feed stock, land, etc.  It’s pretty clear that dramatically reducing meat consumption will improve the health of people and the planet.  Don’t let taste buds and habit stand in  your way!

    ________________________________

    Reply
    Breville JE98XL - November 16, 2011

    I am in agreement with etownhobbit84. I do think we eat to much meat but i do not think is should be tossed out completely

    Reply
Redjade13 - January 4, 2012

My husband and I are starting this today and are really excited. We are not overweight but we do not eat as healthy as we should and want to get on the right path of being healthy we are 29 years old and know as we get older we are prone to bad health problems if we dont get started now.

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    Joseph Garma - January 5, 2012

    I commend you for your foresight. Consistent juicing will make a difference in how you experience your twilight years, but the good news is that you’ll get plenty of benefits well before that time. Within a week you’ll likely feel more energetic and vibrant. Have fun with it!

    Reply
Anonymous - January 15, 2012

I just last week also watched the movie and was inspired. My body looks like Joe’s at the start of the movie. although I don’t have any particular chronic health problems. I already had a Breville juicer sitting unused in a closet (from an ex-girlfriend) so deciding to try the reboot wasn’t real tough.

Following a chain of other food related documentaries you can see a trend, basically the standard American diet is making us sick, and killing us early. One documentary I watched “Food Matters” mentioned the work of Dr. Max Gersen, and his daughter. Then I found another documentary (on Netflix) “The Gersen Miracle” which talks about how the juice diet has been used to CURE cancer, yet is illegal to use nutritional therapy in the U.S.

It’s all been an interesting train of discovery to see how all this ties together. And I am looking forward to seeing results with the reboot, it’s only day 3 but already lost 4 pounds (and yes I had to deal with the caffiene withdrawal headache – I drank lots of diet soda).

Reply
    Joseph Garma - January 16, 2012

    I sure wish more people in your situation would take the bull by the horns and try to make some positive changes.
    May I suggest that at some point the juicing effort will fade and that’s OK.  When that happens, rather than abandon it all together, try to do it as often as you can.
    Also, should you begin to feel poorly from the detoxing, other than drinking lots of pure water, consider taking detox baths.  I have instructions for them at the bottom of the post, “Detoxifying Your Way to Nirvana” https://garmaonhealth.com/2009/08/detoxifying-your-way-to-nirvana/
    Also, also, recruit a buddy to take this journey with you.  Studies clearly show that people more successfully make long lasting changes to their lives if they recruit the help of friends.
    Yep.

    Reply
    Gil - November 1, 2015

    I know this is very old but I had an eightysix year old friend who did Gerson as best he could at home and his stage four went away.

    Reply
Chiropractor Columbus - January 19, 2012

Does this diet really work? Have anyone tried this? Because in my opinion, I don’t think a person can survive with nothing but fresh fruit juice. It’s not healthy and balanced diet at all.  Fruits and vegetables should be eaten entirely and not just drinking juice from it. 

Reply
    Theresa_rivet - March 27, 2012

     its not a diet…its more like an added tool to a life style change of eating more fresh veggies and fruit…and if juicing helps the body get rid of toxins that we build up in our system not only from the foods we eat but the enviroment”s  pollutants then i would definatley say yes..

    Reply
      Joseph Garma - March 28, 2012

      I’ll go along with that… yep.

      Reply
Greg B - February 1, 2012

i have tpe 2 diabetes my sugars are whacked.  Im on 3 medications and just dont care what the consequence is.. I just watched the movied after a coworker lost 60lbs and i asked him how.  So this week within the next 48hrs i expect to start.  im 320lbs 5’10” and i expect to embrace this  i would love to last 30 days and really hope 60days can be met

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    Theresa_rivet - March 27, 2012

     i am also type 2 diabetic and i am currently doing a 30 day raw food challenge …have never eaten raw food in this way…was on a typical diet most people are on..i am currently at my 26 day and the changes in over all heath is incrediable…more energy lower sugar level…back ache pains as well as arthric knee pain is gone….going to get blood work done to see what changes have been made in that area…just eating clean will bring your sugars..blood pressure down as well as lose wieght..have currently lost 17 pounds from 218 when i started. so good luck , and keep motivated  with keeping in mind why you wanna do it , it helps alot , as well as journaling  your journey.

    Reply
Vincent - February 19, 2012

Joe, is there somewhere to find your juice recipes? My girlfriend and I are committed to attempting a ten day juice fast! Please respond

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chicago gym - March 16, 2012

I have never heard about this thing before. But looks good. I will give it a try. I never went to netflix’s 
documentaries  section 🙂

Reply
New York Fitness Training - April 13, 2012

Fat is very dangerous for health . This blog contain beautiful and highlight burning topic. Which is common now a days. I like it and this blog information is very use full and important . 

Reply
Adam Herbert - April 17, 2012

I have just started on the 15 day detox and the only comment I would have is look into cold press juicers, the Breville juicers negate most of the benefits of juicing. I ended up buying a Coway Juicepresso and it is amazing. The juice never separates and stays fresh for days. It is most definately worth the extra expense, you will get a much higher yield from your f&v and retain all of the goodness.

Reply
    Joe Garma - April 16, 2012

    Yes, I’m aware that juicers that use high speed grinding methods to juice fruits and veggies are said to extract less juice or somehow slightly degrade the quality of the juice. I’ve used the Omega juicer that uses a slow moving auger to squeeze the juice out. Although unfamiliar with the Juicepresso, on its website it says that this juicer “presses out the juice”, gets more juice and it’s healthier.

    A few points on this. First, juicing is a balancing act in that it’s an uncommon practice that is too often begun and then abandoned; thus, the easier you can make it, the more you’ll do it. Juicers like the Breville (the one I use) make juice very fast. The Omega I once used took a long time because the produce had to be chopped up much finer than the Breville and the grinding auger was slow. The old school “Champion” Juicer was powerful but slow, given the need for to slice produce into small slices to fit into the chute. Second, assuming Juicepresso is better, it is only marginally so. If you don’t use it then it’s far inferior. Third is availability. The website only shows shops in Australia and New Zealand and no price was given. Last, not everyone using it raves about it as this link to the Juicepresso forum attests:
    http://www.juicepresso.com.au/3/59-too-much-pulp-chute-blocked.html

    Reply
    Joseph Garma - April 17, 2012

     Yes, I’m aware that juicers that use high speed grinding methods to
    juice fruits and veggies are said to extract less juice or somehow
    slightly degrade the quality of the juice. I’ve used the Omega juicer
    that uses a slow moving auger to squeeze the juice out. Although
    unfamiliar with the Juicepresso, on its website it says that this juicer
    “presses out the juice”, gets more juice and it’s healthier.

    A few points on this. First, juicing is a balancing act in that it’s
    an uncommon practice that is too often begun and then abandoned; thus,
    the easier you can make it, the more you’ll do it. Juicers like the
    Breville (the one I use) make juice very fast. The Omega I once used
    took a long time because the produce had to be chopped up much finer
    than the Breville and the grinding auger was slow. The old school
    “Champion” Juicer was powerful but slow, given the need for to slice
    produce into small slices to fit into the chute. Second, assuming
    Juicepresso is better, it is only marginally so. If you don’t use it
    then it’s far inferior. Third is availability. The website only shows
    shops in Australia and New Zealand and no price was given. Last, not
    everyone using it raves about it as this link to the Juicepresso forum
    attests:
    http://www.juicepresso.com.au/3/59-too-much-pulp-chute-blocked.html

    Reply
Courage - July 12, 2012

 You make no sense whatsoever.

Reply
Air Optix Contact Lenses - July 17, 2012

Everybody likes to be smart and get a slim body, so you have given good points to be smart person. Hope to follow them soon. 

Reply
Sandi Arie - January 12, 2015

I am diabetic type 2 & I am on statins. Is this regime safe for me? I am 328 lbs, please write me back to tell me what I can do. Looking forward to your response.
Best Regards,
Sandi Arie

Reply
    Joe Garma - January 13, 2015

    Sandi, like author Tim Ferriss likes to say, “I’m not a doctor and don’t pretend to be on the Internet”.

    I suggest you ask your doctor, but having said that, I suggest you slowly do some juicing and see how you respond. Watch the Fat, Sick and Nearly dead documentary (may be on youtube, or their site, or Netflix) and you’ll see some pretty amazing stories of unhealthy and sick people getting well by juicing… just remember that the fruit content needs to be far below the vegetable, otherwise you’ll be ingesting too much sugar.

    Also, diabetics need to know about Berberine, an inexpensive herb that might help control blood sugar: http://www.tahomaclinicblog.com/berberine-diabetes/ BUT if you use this, might affect whatever drugs you’re currently using, so — again — review it w/ your doc.

    Reply
Tamah - May 16, 2016

Joe Garma, I have been a big fan of both movies Fat, Sick an Nearly Dead I & II plus there is a great Documentary called Planet Nation Nation. I have spoke to me family Dr and my Neurologists; leading Dr’s at John’s Hopkins and University of Penn. All three approved my use of the diet for weight loss attempts using the juicing reboot plan. I went from 360 lbs to 220 lbs in 6-9 months. My Dr’s were concerned that my protein intake would suffer because I decided to blend Low sodium V-8 and Low cal V-8 Fusion (50/50) because of time constraints, instead of juicing my own juice. so I included two protein shakes by Premier Protein. I eliminated caffeine completely. I also included treadmill and biking activity when I reached 260 lbs. After the first 60 day cycle I ate smart i.e. whole foods salads, whole fruits and vegetables, nuts and whole grain pastas and breads with limited dairy intake i.e. cheeses and yogurt in the recommended serving sizes for thirty days. Then did another 60 day reboot as before. I now eat right as described in the Documentary Plant Pure Nation as my regular diet but I do, on occasion enjoy a steak, burger or something fancy like chicken Marcella, or even lobster tail with drawn butter. I have never felt better and continue to loose weight because of eating right since my 5’5″ frame should only be carrying about 160 lbs like it did when I was in my cut abs shape when playing football in high school. There will always be skeptics out there and some health conditions will prevent people from going full tilt on the reboot but there is no doubt that the life style as detailed in Plant Pure Nation is proper. the comments above about humans were meat eater from the start is highly debatable since catching a fruit tree would be a lot easier than catching a pig or a deer.

Reply
    Joe Garma - May 16, 2016

    Excellent story, Tamah, which I appreciate you sharing — congratulations and keep up the good work.

    Reply

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