4 Inspiring Health Documentaries You Need to Watch

  • By Jennifer Mulder
  • 17 October 2016
  • 3 minute read
How Finding an Online Community Can Help You Thrive with Chronic Illness | The Health Sessions

4 Inspiring Health Documentaries You Need to Watch | The Health Sessions

This is a guest post by Cassie from Culture Coverage. 

With all the vitriol clogging our daily newsfeeds, it’s refreshing to know that some parties are genuinely putting forth an effort to make the world a better place to live in — and to make it easier to stay here longer, for that matter.

And while documentaries certainly are no replacement for scientific journals, peer-reviewed articles and double-blind studies, they still serve a purpose: to give us a brief but interesting view into the world of progress. They help us take one more step forward when it seems so easy to give up.

A number of health films have proved both intriguing and inspiring to me. They’re stories you need to hear in a world that sometimes unnecessarily focuses on the negative.

Now, the first and most recent film you’ll want to check out is called…

The Game Changer

4 Inspiring Health Documentaries You Need to Watch: The Game Changer | The Health Sessions

Few events are more life changing than being diagnosed with cancer. Some (and not wrongfully so) view it as a death sentence. There is no outright cure for cancer, only a variety of treatments that at times can be highly invasive, leading to baldness, weakness and general malaise.

“The Game Changer” is significant because it outlines a new form of treatment following the use of low doses of naltrexone (commonly referred to as LDN; low dose naltrexone). While most evidence is currently anecdotal or restricted to case studies, preliminary research outlined in the documentary demonstrate effectiveness in helping patients beat cancer.

Note that the documentary isn’t claiming to have a cure for cancer, but rather a treatment that dramatically improves the effectiveness of other modalities in addition to the patient’s quality of life. That includes patients with autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis. The full hour-long documentary is free to watch on YouTube; I highly recommend it.

If you experience problems viewing “The Game Changer” because the video isn’t available in your country, you can navigate around the issue using a Virtual Private Network to reroute your connection to a secured server.

Basically, you can change your IP address so that websites think you’re in a different location (so you can watch anything regardless of what restrictions might be in place). Sometimes valuable health information is blocked, but it doesn’t have to be with the right tools!

Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead

4 Inspiring Health Documentaries You Need to Watch: Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead | The Health Sessions

On the more entertaining end, “Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead” follows Joe Cross as he transforms from a morbidly obese couch potato into a juicing health nut. That’s the short of it—but there’s a lot more to it than that. Like so many others, Joe starts out in what seems a relatively hopeless situation; the difference is his decision to take control.

While I’m not someone who finds it easy to jump on board a two-month juice fast, it worked out well for Joe. The amount of perseverance required to make the journey is a testament to just how strong we can be even in our weakest hour. Not only that, it’s an intriguing look into the lives of everyday people.

The Beautiful Truth: Gerson Therapy

4 Inspiring Health Documentaries You Need to Watch: Beautiful Truth | The Health Sessions

I would paint myself a skeptic regarding anything that claims to be a miracle cure—especially when it calls for coffee enemas. In spite of that, the Gerson Therapy has claims that are certainly worth investigating. Many of its principles, including moving away from modern food and back to raw, living foods are mirrored by some other popular diets, including the Paleo diet.

According to the documentary, Dr. Max Gerson invented the protocol behind the therapy just shy of a century ago with the goal of curing patients’ chronic illnesses and alleviating pesky symptoms associated with said illnesses. The documentary explains the history behind the Gerson family and what has become of the controversial therapy.

What’s really energizing about this film are the people within it and their testimonies. Much like the patients seen in parts of “The Game Changer,” we’re shown people that were, for all intents and purposes, on death’s door. But their tenacity and willingness to endure change for the better helped them reach new heights of health.

‘Supersize Me’ & ‘Fat Head’            

4 Inspiring Health Documentaries You Need to Watch: Supersize Me | The Health Sessions     

Beyond the previously mentioned documentaries, I’ve also found “Supersize Me” and the response documentary, “Fat Head”, to be a good combination. They offer differing viewpoints on a similar topic, and both are fairly entertaining to boot. They’re best watched together, as they inspire intellectual thought in two separate directions. I would recommend watching the first three first, but these might prove to be an excellent complement once you’re finished.

Have you seen any of the selections listed above? What are your thoughts? If you have a favorite health documentary, be sure to share it in the comments section below.

About the Author: Cassie is a pop culture and technology blogger who takes her health to be a very important topic. She hopes that you find both joy and useful information when watching these documentaries.

If you enjoyed this article, you might also like:

Related articles in Healthy lifestyle

12 Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes That’ll Warm Up You This Winter

12 Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes That'll Warm Up You This Winter | The Health Sessions

17 Practical Tips to Simplify Self-Care, Chores and Life Admin

Practical Tips to Simplify Self-Care, Chores and Activities with Chronic Illness | The Health Sessions

14 Warrior Quotes to Keep Fighting

14 Warrior Quotes to Keep Fighting | The Health Sessions