Six McDonald’s munching diabetics switch to vegan, organic, raw diet

‘Raw for 30 Days,’ a documentary film on reversing diabetes naturally, today released an extended nine-minute preview available on YouTube, Google Video, and the website www.rawfor30days.com.

The film has been called “un-SuperSize Me” for its premise of challenging six McDonald’s-munching Americans with diabetes to go on a vegan, organic, live, raw diet for 30 days. Sundance Film Festival award-winning director Aiyana Elliott filmed the remarkable experience of each participant, capturing their medical, physical, emotional and spiritual changes.

Participants were supervised by Gabriel Cousens, M.D., M.D. (H) and Helen Ross, M.D. at the Tree of Life in Patagonia, AZ, a world-famous rejuvenation center known for turning around even chronic conditions with a regimen combining raw organic living nutrition, exercise, yoga, meditation, education and counseling.

Creator and executive producer Mark Perlmutter was so inspired by the work at Tree of Life he took a hiatus from his position in corporate finance to devote himself full time to make ‘Raw for 30 Days.’

“Since 21 million Americans are diabetic, and 40 million pre-diabetic due to obesity and poor nutrition, I was emboldened by the message that there is a way to choose life and health instead of disease,” said Perlmutter. “Everyone in this country loves or works with someone who has diabetes, and the release of our nine-minute preview may be the first exposure some have to a greater understanding of controlling, if not conquering the disease.”

The award-winning film team conducted a nationwide search to select a diverse group of six participants representative of all segments of the population:

• Austin from Grand Rapids, Mich., a construction worker
• Bill from Long Beach, Calif., a retired chiropractor
• Henry from Reno, Nev., a casino worker
• Kirt from Baltimore, Md., a college student
• Michelle from New York, NY, a receptionist
• Pam from Sarasota, Fla., a civil servant

The feature film ‘Raw for 30 Days’ is in postproduction and is expected to be shown at film festivals in Spring 2008, with a release in theaters to follow. The film team is also producing a compendium DVD about the program to reverse diabetes, consisting of interviews with medical experts, government spokespeople, and celebrities, plus raw food preparation demos with top chefs. The compendium DVD is being readied for direct online purchase so that individuals and families can follow the health program at home.

About ‘Raw for 30 Days’
‘Raw for 30 Days’ is an independent documentary film that chronicles six McDonald’s-munching Americans with Diabetes who eat 100 percent vegan, organic, live, raw foods for a month. This radical diet and lifestyle change, supervised by medical staff at the Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center in Patagonia, AZ, is designed to reverse diabetes naturally. The film, often called the counterpart to “SuperSize Me” for its thematic resemblance to the noted documentary, is executive produced by Mark Perlmutter, an investment and finance professional, and directed by Aiyana Elliott, winner of the Sundance Film Festival Special Jury Prize for her documentary ‘The Ballad of Ramblin’ Jack.’ For updates or to get involved please see www.rawfor30days.com.