An Interview with Joe Cross from Fat,Sick,and Nearly Dead

I was thrilled to find out that I was being given the opportunity for a short interview with Joe Cross from the movie “Fat,Sick,and Nearly Dead” and  “Fat,Sick,and Nearly Dead 2”!  I am a huge fan of  Mr. Cross, as  well as a big fan of  his movies.

The film, Fat,Sick,and Nearly Dead was the encouragement I needed to make some necessary changes in my life.  Several years ago I was struggling with my health and my weight.  I thought I was destined to be fat and feel like crap.  I had  huge patches of burning,  itchy eczema on my knees and my elbows.  I was told I would need steroids and would simply have to deal with the side effects.  My stomach hurt on a constant basis as did the rest of my body. I might have only been thirty years old,  but I felt much older.

I had tried all the diets, losing weight, just to gain it all back in the end.  I was convinced life was ‘as it was’ and resigned myself to that as ‘fact’.  I began slipping into depression.  A family portrait that was taken later the same year only made things worse.  I, of course, tried dieting again, and failed, again.  During one of my sleepless nights,  I came across the movie “Fat,Sick, and Nearly Dead” on Netflix.  I was intrigued by the name and decided to watch it.  It was as if a light bulb went off in my head that night.  I realized that food could either heal you or hurt you, and it was my choice as to the kinds of food I put in my body.  Watching that movie jump started my  journey toward better health.  It actually began to change my life.

As funny as it sounds, a movie  inspired me to make changes and take charge of my health.  I have to admit that I have not been doing  all the things I need to do in order to take care of myself and my family.  Watching it again has inspired me to make more changes and regain control. You will be hearing much more about the changes I am implementing in the coming weeks!

Right now lets get to the the interview with Joe Cross whose second movie,  “Fat,Sick, and Nearly Dead 2”,  has a special one night showing this week on September 18th, at select theaters.  To purchase ticket, or find out where it will be playing in a theater near you click here!

Q:What inspired you to make Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead 2?

 Joe:WHEN I MADE THE FIRST MOVIE FAT, SICK & NEARLY DEAD, I EXPECTED THAT A FEW THOUSAND PEOPLE WOULD SEE IT, IF I WAS LUCKY — AND THAT MOST OF THEM WOULD BE FRIENDS AND FAMILY! THERE WAS NO WAY I EVER WOULD HAVE BELIEVED THAT ALMOST FOUR YEARS LATER, THE FILM WOULD HAVE BEEN SEEN BY MORE THAN 20 MILLION PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD AND BE THE CATALYST FOR A GLOBAL WELLNESS MOVEMENT. WHAT I’VE LEARNED IN THOSE FOURS YEARS AS I’VE TRAVELLED FROM INDONESIA TO IOWA, IS THAT AS MUCH AS PEOPLE NEED INFORMATION AND TOOLS TO MAKE A CHANGE, THEY ALSO REALLY NEED HELP TO SUSTAIN THAT CHANGE. THAT INCLUDES ME. SO I STARTED TO THINK, HOW CAN WE STAY HEALTHY IN AN UNHEALTHY WORLD? THE MORE I SPOKE TO EXPERTS ABOUT IT, THE MORE I WAS SURE THERE WAS GREAT MATERIAL FOR A FOLLOW-UP FILM. PLUS, EVERYWHERE I WENT, PEOPLE WANTED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PEOPLE IN THE FIRST MOVIE! IN THIS NEW FILM, WE CATCH UP WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE FROM THE FIRST FILM, AND THEIR STORIES ARE GOING TO SURPRISE THE AUDIENCE.

 Q:Why should people go and see it? What do you hope they get from the movie?

 Joe: I HOPE PEOPLE WALK AWAY HAVING BEEN ENTERTAINED, INFORMED AND INSPIRED TO MAKE CHANGES THAT WILL MAKE THEIR LIVES HEALTHIER AND HAPPIER. AND THAT THEY WILL ABANDON THE IDEA OF PERFECTION, AND REALIZE THAT SOMETIMES SMALL CHANGES CAN MAKE THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE.

 Q: If you could tell anyone who was struggling in their health one thing what would it be?

 Joe: TO ACCEPT THAT THIS IS A PROCESS, AND THERE ARE GOING TO BE FAILURES AND SLIP-UPS ALONG THE ROAD TO HEALTH. AND THAT THEY SHOULDN’T GO IT ALONE – COMMUNITY IS CRITICAL! (OK, THAT IS TWO THINGS!)

 Q: (Besides a juice) What is your favorite meal?

Joe: THESE DAYS, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE A BIG LEAFY SALAD, WITH ALL OF THE COLORS OF THE RAINBOW REPRESENTED. BUT I AM STILL A SUCKER FOR GOOD SUSHI!

 Q: Any tips for eating and staying healthy while you travel around so much?

 Joe: WHAT WORKS FOR ME IS SIMPLE. I HAVE TO MAKE SURE I GET ENOUGH SLEEP AND FRESH AIR – THAT MEANS TAKING A WALK OUTSIDE AS SOON AS I REACH A NEW PLACE. I NEED TO STAY WELL HYDRATED AND PUMP UP MY MICRONUTRIENT INTAKE TO COMBAT JET LAG (I CAN FIND A JUICE BAR ALMOST ANYWHERE IF I LOOK HARD ENOUGH!). AND NOT TO LET THE INHERENT ISOLATION OF TRAVEL GET TO ME – AT LEAST ONCE A DAY, I TRY TO TALK TO A GOOD FRIEND OR FAMILY MEMBER AND HAVE A BIT OF A LAUGH.

JUICE ON!