Joe Cross is known for his documentary “Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead” where he chronicles his 60-day juice fast to regain his health. But how much juice did Joe actually drink each day during his juice fast? Let’s take a closer look at the details.
Joe’s 60-Day Juice Fast
In 2010, Joe Cross weighed 310 pounds and was suffering from an autoimmune disease. He decided to embark on a 60-day juice fast to improve his health. The rules of his juice fast were simple:
- Only drink fresh fruit and vegetable juices
- Have 6 juices per day
- No solid food
Joe traveled across America with a juicer and generator in his truck, getting produce from local grocery stores and farms. He also met with people along the way and inspired them to try juicing.
Joe’s Daily Juice Intake
During the 60-day juice fast, Joe drank between 5-7 juices per day on average. Here’s a breakdown of his daily juice intake:
| Number of Juices | Frequency |
|---|---|
| 5 juices | 10 days |
| 6 juices | 30 days |
| 7 juices | 20 days |
As you can see, most days Joe had 6 juices, which ended up being about 3-5 pounds of produce each day. On some days he had a little less or more depending on his hunger levels.
Joe’s Juice Recipes
Joe primarily made fruit and vegetable juices with his juicer. Here are some of the juice combinations he drank during his fast:
| Juice Name | Ingredients |
|---|---|
| Mean Green Juice | Kale, parsley, celery, cucumber, apple, ginger |
| Carrot Apple Ginger | Carrots, apple, ginger |
| Spicy Lemonade | Lemon, cayenne pepper, maple syrup |
| Watermelon Lime | Watermelon, lime |
He focused on nutrient-dense green juices like Mean Green Juice to flood his body with vitamins and minerals. He also made more fruit-based juices like Watermelon Lime for refreshment and variety.
The Amount of Produce in Joe’s Juices
To get a sense of how much raw produce went into Joe’s daily juices, let’s break it down:
- Joe averaged about 5 pounds of produce per day
- With 6 juices per day, each juice contained around 0.8-1 pounds of fruits and veggies
- For veggies like kale, that’s about 2-3 large handfuls per juice
- For fruits like apples, that’s 2-3 apples per juice
Drinking this much fresh, raw produce allowed Joe to flood his body with an abundance of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and fiber. Juicing removed the insoluble fiber from whole fruits and veggies, making the produce easier to digest.
Benefits of Drinking So Much Produce
Consuming so many vegetables and fruits through juices gave Joe some incredible health benefits:
- Weight loss – Joe lost 82 pounds during his 60-day juice fast
- Clearer skin – All the phytochemicals helped reduce acne and rashes
- Improved energy – The nutrients gave him steady energy all day long
- Better digestion – The juices were easy for his body to break down and absorb
In addition, drinking produce in juice form allowed him to absorb more nutrients than he could by eating whole fruits and vegetables. Juicing removed much of the insoluble fiber, making digestion easier.
Downsides of Drinking So Much Juice
While Joe’s juice fast clearly led to major health improvements, there are some downsides of drinking so much juice:
- Lacks fiber – Fiber is removed when you juice produce
- High sugar – Fruit juices have lots of natural sugars without fiber to balance it out
- Missing nutrients – Some minerals and vitamins are depleted during juicing
- Hunger – Can still feel hungry or unsatisfied from just drinking liquids
To counter some of these drawbacks, Joe made sure to include green leafy veggies like kale which provided some fiber. He also focused more on veggie juices over fruit juices to prevent blood sugar spikes.
Joe’s Tips for Juice Fasting
Here are some of Joe Cross’ top tips if you want to try a juice fast:
- Ease into it – Don’t go full juice fast immediately, transition over a few weeks
- Listen to your body – Go slower if you feel tired or unwell
- Aim for 80% veggies, 20% fruit
- Include leafy greens for fiber
- Drink herbal tea or broth for variety
- Supplement if needed – e.g. omega-3s, probiotics, protein powder
- Don’t exercise heavily during the fast
Joe doesn’t recommend juice fasting for more than 60 days at a time. Be sure to transition slowly back to eating solid foods after finishing a juice fast.
Life After Joe’s Juice Fast
Joe lost a whopping 82 pounds during his 60-day juice fast, going from 310 pounds down to 228 pounds. His autoimmune disease went into remission as well.
However, Joe realized that he needed to make permanent dietary changes to maintain his new healthy weight and lifestyle. Here is what Joe’s diet looked like after his juice fast:
- Lots of vegetables and fruits
- Lean proteins like fish and chicken
- Some grains like quinoa and oats
- Nuts, seeds, beans, lentils
- Healthy fats from avocado, olive oil, etc
- Limited red meat and processed foods
- Green juice 2-3 times per week for a nutrient boost
This balanced, whole foods diet provided Joe with sustained energy and health without needing to juice fast again. He has kept the weight off for over 10 years now.
Conclusion
In summary, Joe Cross drank 5-7 fresh juices per day during his 60-day juice fast, made primarily from vegetables and some fruits. This equated to around 3-5 pounds of raw produce each day. Consuming so many micronutrients from juicing aided his dramatic weight loss and improvement in health. However, juice fasts should be temporary and followed by a balanced, healthy diet with whole foods.
