Joe Cross has become the face of a movement after his film Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead was seen by more than 10 million people across the world. A film that has inspired millions to change their lives. We found out a little more about Joe and his Reboot in this interview.
Can you tell us a little about your background and how you came to make Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead?
The minute I was out of school, I dove head first into the world of finance as a trader on the Sydney Futures Exchange. I’m a bloke with a lot of energy and a big voice, so I fit right in. The rush of trading was exhilarating, my career took off, and I started becoming almost totally focused on my work . Now, finance has a lot of rewards but it’s also an exceptionally high-stress environment. So I started playing as hard as I was working to manage the stress. For me, that meant tons of processed foods, alcohol, cigarettes, and very little rest.
Just before my 40th birthday, I looked in the mirror and was shocked by what I saw – I was almost 100 lbs. overweight, with very little energy and a chronic autoimmune disease that could only be managed by daily doses of strong prescription medication. The energetic fellow of my youth was nowhere to be found. And I finally had to take responsibility for my choices. I realized that the lifestyle I had been living – which basically rejected Mother Nature’s gifts, full stop – could bring about an early death. So I decided to do a radical shift – I called it a Reboot – and do nothing but consume the fresh juice of fruits and vegetables for a period of time. And since I’d always wanted to make a film, I decided to document my Reboot – maybe some school or other would show it to a few thousand people and my story could help someone. Never did I dream that it would go on to be seen by 20 MM people worldwide and ignite a movement.
Your current film is Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead 2, what can you tell us about it?
It an exploration of what happens AFTER you Reboot. Sometimes, ironically, the period of absolute change is the easy bit. It’s living healthy in an unhealthy world that can be tough. So I interviewed both experts and real people, and shared my own experiences to really hone in on what the most important behaviors are for wellbeing – and they are simple. Nutrition, exercise, community, a spiritual practice of any sort, proper rest – really simple, right? But simple and easy are not exactly the same thing and this film explores that.
What is juicing and who can it help?
Juicing is consuming the liquid from vegetables and fruits that are put through a juice extractor – so the fibre is removed. It is NOT blending, which is basically pulverizing the produce and consuming it, well, pre-chewed if you will. Smoothies are not juice, for example, and I think there is a lot of confusion around that topic these days.
Anyone benefits from adding a big green juice made with 80% veg, 20% fruit to their day. It allows you to receive all of the benefits of 2 lbs. of produce which would be awfully hard to sit down and eat. But juicing is fast and easy and packs an amazing nutritional punch.
Can you tell us about ‘The Reboot with Joe Juice Diet’?
Since I’m keen to get everyone to eat more plants, I’m happy to say that book is a New York Times best-seller. It’s a very simple plan with tons of great recipes to get people engaged in juicing and plant based eating. I wrote it as a response to the many people who contacted me to know exactly what I consumed during my Reboot. But it includes plans of varying length, so you can do a 3 day plan to kick-start your system, or a longer Reboot if you need a more comprehensive change.
What do you think are the top 2 secrets to achieving a healthy lifestyle?
Consistently caring for yourself, and having a community of supportive people in your life. And if I could add a third – it’s picking yourself up and going on after you’ve had a slip. No one ever got healthy through self-recrimination!
How do you think community supports fits into maintaining a healthy lifestyle?
Community is crucial and can come in all shapes and via many conduits. It could be family, co-workers, friends or online. I’m proud to say we’ve got an amazing online community (www.rebootwithjoe.com) of people all over the world, supporting each other.
What advice would you give to someone thinking about embarking on plant based diet?
Learn about it, plan for it, do it and enjoy it!
Juice on!
Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead 2 is available now on various platforms. www.rebootwithjoe.com,
- Platforms: Apple iTunes, Vimeo, Foxtel, Google Play, MSFT XBOX, Access Digital, Sony Playstation, Telstra, Amazon
I devour books, vampires and supernatural creatures are my genre of choice but over the past couple of years, I have broadened my horizons considerably. In a nutshell – I love to write! I love interacting with a diverse range of artists to bring you interviews. Perhaps we were perfect before – I LOVE WORDS!