This is a guest post by Thomas Barnett, a Latest in Paleo listener (Bio below). Hopefully, one of the things that helps characterize Paleo eaters and lifestylers is our willingness to take a look at other diets, and consider them within the context of the available scientific evidence and evolutionary clues.  Thus, here’s a look at juicing, via streaming online media…

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Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead.

No, thankfully, that’s not a description of me. (Well, I am a little doughy around the lower abdomen.) Rather, it’s a movie I found on Netflix last night.

It’s available for streaming, if you haven’t yet seen it. http://www.fatsickandnearlydead.com

Although I do own a juicer, I’ve long been conflicted about the idea of massive and extended amounts of juices— especially fruit juices.  You’ve probably heard about people like this woman that eat 30 or more bananas a day.  Obviously, she looks great.  But, crikey, that’s a lot of fructose!  Seems like that would play hell on Glucose/Insulin levels.

Then, you have the Gerson Therapy that advocates drinking a lot of raw juices and coffee enemas.  (Would you like cream and sugar with that?)  The Gerson Institute makes some pretty fantastic claims.  A list of related videos can be found here.  Of those listed, only Food Matters is currently available for streaming on Netflix.

On a different tangent, The Burzynski Movie can be streamed here.

Finally, there’s the Hippocrates Health Institute (“HHI”) down in West Palm Beach, Florida.  Similar to the Gerson Institute, the HHI advocates a vegan lifestyle with lots of juices—wheatgrass juice, especially.  I can’t really imagine man eating grass.  But, given grass or nothing, I guess I’d have to give it a try…

Thomas Barnett is a real-food-eating, kettlebell-swinging, health enthusiast that lives in Asheville, NC.  When not hiking in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, he is busy obsessing over macro- and micro-nutrients, when and how much to exercise, and whether or not it’s possible to overdose on bacon.  His odyssey into health began in 2002, following bouts with anxiety, depression, acid-reflux, chronic fatigue, and a nearly 20-year history of migraines.  Today, Thomas is medicine- and symptom-free, working on losing “that last five pounds,” and is passionate about helping others improve their lives through personal responsibility, healthy skepticism, and changing things that are clearly not working.