Don’t doubt the detox!

As a nutritionist, I know there are imbalances in the body that call for detoxification: Candida, allergies, parasites, food sensitivities, chronic fatigue, autoimmune disease, gallbladder and liver conditions to name a few. Some people believe that we could all benefit from an occasional fast. The environment - land, water and air - and the food supply are so contaminated, the argument is that we all have a certain level of toxins in our bodies if we do our best to be healthy. And there are others who do not believe it is possible or necessary to detoxify.

If you ever had any doubt that detoxifying the body works, you must watch the documentary “Fat, sick and nearly dead”. I watched it last night on the recommendation of a friend and boy does it send a powerful message: that food is medicine and that it is never too late to transform your body by changing your lifestyle and eating habits. As the title suggests, the man who made the movie, Joe Cross, was dangerously overweight, ill and on multiple drugs when he finally said enough and after checking with his physician, decided to go on a 60-day juice fast. He loses weight and heals all his disease. He calls the juice fast a reboot; what an apt description! 

The healing power of a plant-based diet is displayed before your eyes as you watch not only Joe but his 429-pound friend shrink in size while simultaneously looking and feeling healthier and happier as each day passes. In both men’s cases, as they lost the pounds and began to get their energy back, they had less and less need for drugs until finally they were not on any medication whatsoever. Substituting vegetables and fruits for drugs, this is not new idea! But the way it is presented in this movie, it has such a profound impact. 

In addition to the two overweight men, there is a woman who suffered from migraines who was inspired by Joe’s experience. She took up juicing and freed herself from migraines, looked and felt so much better after her reboot. Migraines can be a powerful motivator for a change in eating habits!

I am glad I watched the movie because I am inspired to purchase that Vitamix I have been wanting to get for over a year now. I will also be more inclined to recommend juice fasting to clients than I was before. The health benefits are undeniable. A juice fast doesn’t have to be as dramatic as the ones in this movie. A detox can be gentle, easy, simple and minimal.

If you were a detox doubter, please watch this movie. Let me know if it changes your mind. And start juicing! Even if you are not fat, sick and nearly dead. Your body will love you for it! 

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