I’m a big fan of documentaries and since I have checked both Food Inc. and Forks Over Knives out already (you can read my thoughts on those here and here), Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead was definitely next up on my list. I saw it on Netflix instant play last night and decided to watch it while I had some free time. I loved every minute of it.

If you haven’t heard of the film, this is it in a nutshell: A man in his 40’s who is overweight and suffering from an autoimmune disease along with other health conditions decides to try a 60-day juice fast (all raw fruits and vegetables only) to take back his health. Spolier: By the end of the film he’s completely free of his disease and living a happy, healthy lifestyle. It’s an awesome and dramatic story.

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I was SO SURPRISED to realize that the disease this man suffered from is pretty much the EXACT SAME CONDITION that I’ve been struggling with this past year. Can you believe that?! He talked about how something as simple as a handshake set off this histamine reaction in his body that would cause crazy swelling and discomfort, and I felt like he was seriously describing my symptoms! The main difference is that my condition is idiopathic (which basically means it doesn’t have a name or an explanation) and my swelling couldn’t be classified as hives because it’s not accompanied by itching. Also my condition was causing swelling that went beyond just the surface of my skin and actually caused my airway to swell more than once, which is what sent me to the ER back in the fall.

So as you can imagine, the documentarian’s story REALLY struck a chord with me. He started the movie on prednisone, the very same steroid that you guys might remember me taking for a long time (and for the record, I was taking more than twice the amount that he was). For months I bounced from doctor to doctor and test to test and no one had any earthly idea what was wrong with me. They gave me steroids because it was the only thing that would keep my throat from closing up and prevent my hands from puffing up like this all the time:

I REALLY appreciate all the kind words of encouragement and get well wishes that some of you gave me during those times. After I got off the steroids, I was just so relieved to be done with them that I never talked about it on the blog anymore. The reason I was able to get off those drugs is that I was fortunate enough to be referred to an allergist who was the FIRST person to actually understand what was going on and give me medications that aren’t steroids. The problem? There’s no cure, no explanation, and no way to be sure of what will happen. My official diagnosis is “idiopathic angioedema”. Translation: random swelling with no explanation. It’s a histamine reaction, but it’s not an allergy. These are the pills I now take each day:

Now I don’t know about you, but I happen to think that a health conscious person in their early 20’s should not need to take so many pills (considering that none of them are vitamins or supplements). It makes me concerned for how many I might need by the time I’m 40. They’re all supposedly harmless with no long term effects, but that promise doesn’t entirely satisfy me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m extremely grateful for the wonders of modern medicine. But at the moment, modern medicine has no explanation for me and can do nothing more that try to hide my symptoms. Watching Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead really reminded me (and even taught me some new things) about the incredible healing power of clean, natural foods.

I don’t think a full-on juice fast like the one in the documentary is for everyone (it’s definitely not for me right now, I’m still trying to gain weight), but the film did motivate me to start focusing on a diet rich in the wonderful micronutrients that fresh fruit and vegetables give us. I don’t know if I could ever be cured and free of medications like the men in the documentary, but I won’t know unless I try! I love healthy foods and try to be conscious of what I eat, but I know I can do much better!

I would really recommend the film to ANYONE! It was inspirational, informative, and entertaining. I hope I can force Jason to watch it. 😉

Expect to see more fruits and vegetables around here. If you don’t see it, yell at me. Seriously.

Thanks for reading!

-Lauren

If you’d like to learn more about the juice fasting program and its health benefits, you can check out the site that branched out of the movie, Reboot Your Life.