Juicing saved my life

Sick and obese Joe Cross lost six stone on the juice diet… here he reveals how it can improve your health

• Joe Cross once weighed 22st and was in ill-health
• He 'rebooted' his life by following juice diet for 60 days
• He now weighs 16st and has never felt better

By LUCY WATERLOW

n Joe Cross's own words, six years a go he 'looked like I'd swallowed a sheep.'

The Australian was 'fat, sick and nearly dead' - he weighed 22 stone and was suffering from a debilitating autoimmune disease that meant he was constantly dosed up on drugs.

His daily diet consisted of pizza, pies and doughnuts - leaving him low on energy and on a fast track to an early grave.

Juice convert: Joe Cross overhauled his diet and only drank juice for 60 days to get healthy

But when Joe entered his forties he decided it was time to turn his life around. He set himself the challenge of only consuming juice for 60 days to see if the healing power of fruit and veg could make him a new man.

He told the MailOnline: 'I was sick and on medication that wasn't fixing me. I just wanted to get well and be healthy. I decided to see if I could change my life by completely by changing my diet and plying my system with nutrients. 

Then and now: Joe used to weigh 22st, left, and was in poor health before he 'rebooted' and lost six stone

'For 60 days I would only drink juice. Then for the next two years after that, I'd only eat foods derived from plants (seeds, beans, fruits, veg and nuts) and no animal-based or processed food.'

The plan worked and Joe lost six stone. Six years on, aged 47, he is now medication-free and has never felt better. His daily diet continues to include a litre of juice a day along with plant-based foods during the day and an evening meal that will include animal and processed foods.

He filmed his journey to create the award-winning documentary, Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead, that will air on Channel 5 on 10th July. 

The film has been a worldwide hit and has inspired many to follow Joe's lead with juicing now becoming a way of life for many.  

Celebrities including Rosie Huntington Whitely and Jessica Alba have accredited their physiques to a juice diet and John Lewis has seen a 130 per cent rise in sales of juicers in the past year.

Celeb followers: Actresses Jessica Alba, left, and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley are fans of the juice diet

Recipe: How to make Joe's Mean Green juice

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Serving Size: 16oz. (500 mls)

Ingredients

• 1 cucumber
• 4 celery stalks
• 2 apples
• 6-8 leaves kale (Australian tuscan cabbage)
• 1/2 lemon
• 1 tbsp ginger

Directions

1. Wash all produce well
2. Peel the lemon, optional
3. Juice
4. Pour over ice
5. Enjoy!

Johnathan Marsh, head of buying for electricals at John Lewis, said: 'The juicing phenomenon is spreading fast across the UK. 

'Juicing is a huge trend for us this year and in response to high levels of customer demand for juicers we have increased our stock holding by 10 times compared to last year, and expanded our range.'  

However, Joe prefers to call his juicing plan a 'reboot' rather than a diet - and anyone can do it to improve their health.

He said: 'During a reboot, you'll commit to consuming only fruit and vegetable juices for a period of time. Three days, five days, or 30 days, it's your choice! 

'The goal is to help you break a cycle of an unhealthy lifestyle and simply enhance the quality of your diet by increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables.'

He added: 'If you're overweight and have tried everything then I would recommend consulting your doctor and then following the juice diet for ten days. 

'You'll find you'll fall in love with fruit and veg and the way it makes you feel.'

But Joe said a 'reboot' doesn't have to be 'all or nothing'. 

'If you don't want to only have juice for a certain number of days then just try adding it into your diet instead. 

'Having a litre a day of fruit and veg every morning will make you feel better and lose pounds. It will also fill you up so you feel satisfied and won't want to eat as much during the day,' he explained.

Joe believes juicing is the easiest way to stock your body up on vitamins and the juices are easy to make - just wash, cut and blend. 

For those short on time, he recommends juicing in bulk at the weekend and then storing the juice in the fridge in an air-tight container so it's ready for you to drink every morning during the week.