Sunday, May 20, 2012

Raw Detox Explained

by RawDetoxBlueprint on June 20, 2011

Raw Detox

Over the years I’ve completed various kinds of detox programs including herbal detox, the master cleanse and fasting, but the ONLY one that had powerful AND long lasting effects is a full raw detox.    What I’ve noticed is that raw detox, more than any other cleansing program, not only improves my health quickly, but also helps me to eat healthier in my regular life.     I’ve personally gotten so much benefit from raw detox programs that I started teaching raw food classes aimed specifically at cleansing and detox.   Those classes eventually grew into a raw detox retreat that I run a few times a year.   I’ve decided to put this website together to share with you my experiences and hopefully save you some time and effort.

raw detoxWhat Is A Raw Detox?

During a raw detox program you follow a limited diet based exclusively or almost exclusively on fresh fruits and vegetables.    The idea is that by eliminating foods that are difficult for the body to digest – including meats, dairy products, wheat products and all processed foods – while at the same time including plenty of enzyme rich raw foods, your body detoxes itself with great efficiency than normal.

You might think of a raw detox as a rest and rejuvenation period for your internal organs and especially your kidneys, liver and colon – all of which are crucial to keeping your body clean and healthy.

What Kinds Of Raw Detox Are There?

There are three basic ways that you can perform a raw detox program.

Raw Detox Method Number One – This is the easiest and most common of the three methods.  It involves eating a diet based only on  solid and liquid fruits and vegetables.   It’s easier that the other kinds of raw detox because it allows you to eat more calories and varieties of food than the other two raw detox programs.   For beginners, this raw detox is almost always the way to start.   It can be done anywhere from 7 to 30 days.

Raw Detox Method Number Two -  The second major way to perform a raw detox is to go on an exclusively liquid diet of only fresh fruits and vegetables.    In this kind of raw detox program you blend all of  the food you intake into soups juices and smoothies.    It may be a bit more challenging that the first form of raw detox, but it also tends to work quicker.   I recommend following the liquids only raw detox anywhere from 3 to 21 days.

Raw Detox Method Number Three -  The third raw detox is also sometimes referred to as a juice fast.  During a juice fast you drink only fresh fruit and vegetable juices for a period of time ranging from 1 to 14 days.    This is an ultra low calorie yet high nutrition approach that works the quickest of all forms of raw detox.

Most people (myself included) tend to mix these three forms of raw detox to create personalized programs.   You might for example start with raw detox using food for a week, then go to a liquid raw detox for another week and then finish with a juice only raw detox for a third week.

How Does A Raw Detox Work?

There are five ways in which eating a diet based primarily on fresh raw fruits and vegetables (with a limited number of nuts and seeds) cleanses and detoxifies your body.

  1. Dietary Fiber: Raw foods, especially leafy greens contain high levels of dietary fiber which is absolutely critical for digestion and elimination.  The recommended daily allowance of dietary fiber is 27 grams, which is easy to achieve on a raw food diet.  Fiber is only found in plant foods and is only valuable as a cleanser when it is raw.  Cooked fiber becomes soft and passive and loses its magnetic cleansing properties.
  2. Enzymes: Raw food that has not been heated above 43C or 118F for any significant length of time is still full of life giving enzymes.  Food enzymes help to break food down in the digestive tract fully and quickly, thus leaving the digestive system to function more smoothly and rapidly.   Enzyme therapy is sometimes used to help people start a cleanse and regain their health.
  3. Water: Water is nature’s universal solvent, capable of breaking down anything in its path.  Raw foods contain high levels of water – up to 85% for some fruits.  This helps digestion and prevents dehydration, which allows for smooth and regular elimination.  Dehydration is considered to be a major cause of chronic constipation.   With a diet high in raw foods this is not an issue.
  4. Chlorophyll: Chlorophyll from leafy greens is a fantastic deodorizer and detoxifier.  Fresh green juice made from grasses and leaves is particularly powerful as a cleansing tool.
  5. Mucus: Heavily cooked foods and especially meat, eggs and milk products cause an allergic reaction in the body which creates mucus in the lining of the intestines and stomach.  Raw fruits and vegetables help eliminate this mucus.  Sea vegetables are particularly helpful for mucus detox.

 

raw detoxWhat Are The Benefits Of A Raw Detox?

There are many benefits that come from regularly completing a raw detox program.  Among the most common are:

  • weight loss
  • improved skin tone
  • increased mental clarity
  • improved memory
  • more energy
  • healing from disease
  • a stronger immune system – getting sick less

Of course, there’s also the fact that raw foods and raw detox in general can help you look younger and feel younger too.  Both Carol Alt (pictured above) and Dimi Moore are raw foodists over 40 who live up to that example clearly.

Is There Anyone Who Shouldn’t Complete A Raw Detox?

Actually there are a few cases in which you should avoid a raw cleansing and detox program.    Pregnant and nursing women both should opt out.    A raw food detox diet simply doesn’t have the calories a growing child needs and it’s possible that some toxins released in the process may be transferred to the child through breast milk.    That said, pregnant and nursing women can indeed eat a large variety of health promoting raw and organic fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds.

Anyone with a severe acute health condition may be a candidate for a raw food detox program, but should absolutely contact a competent doctor before going on one.    A good natural health practitioner will be able to help guide you as to what kind of raw detox is appropriate for you.

Some Final Words On Raw Detox

Isn’t it great when the simple things in life are the best?  That’s certainly the case with raw detox in my experience.    There’s really no downside and even though it may take a few days to get used to the process, undergoing a true raw detox is a life transforming experience.

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Raw Foods Detox For Health And Vitality

by RawDetoxBlueprint on June 18, 2011

Raw Foods Detox

There’s no doubt that we live in a world with an unprecedented level of toxins – that’s one reason why detox and raw foods detox, in particular, is becoming more popular.   Simply put, a well done detox and cleansing program based on raw foods gets results for people time and time again.  Consider what one of the participants in my recent  raw foods detox retreat had to share afterwards.

“I enjoyed the retreat very much — it’s had a big impact on my life! I am doing mostly raw now, with a little cooked food here and there.  I’ve had two colleagues come up to me and ask ‘What have you done? You look so much younger!’ It’s very gratifying!” –Douglas J. Brazil, Singapore

How Raw Foods Detox Works

During a raw foods detox your body has a chance to heal and regenerate itself much more than it does when you eat a standard diet.    The standard western cooked diet slows down digestion and includes a variety of chemicals such as pesticides and fertilizers.   Not to mention that many foods now are genetically modified (GMO).   All this puts extra stress on your body and leads to health problems and premature aging.

During a raw foods detox program you start by eliminating all cooked foods that stress your body.  The worst of these foods are all types of meat and fish, dairy products, wheat products, cooked oils and nearly all processed foods in general.   That may seem like a lot, but it’s really not that difficult as long as you eliminate these types of foods in an intelligent and step by step way.

I like most of my clients to go into a raw foods detox slower rather than quicker. One way I recommend doing this is the following:

  • Week One:  Eliminate meats
  • Week Two:  Eliminate dairy products
  • Week Three:  Eliminate wheat products
  • Week Four:  Eliminate all other processed foods

The reason for taking this approach to raw foods detox is that it will help you avoid experiencing detox symptoms such as headache and nausea.   Plus it will prepare your body to eliminate even more toxins once you go fully into your raw foods detox program.

What Foods Can You Eat On A Raw Foods Detox?

An ideal raw foods detox program means that you eat a diet based exclusively on fresh, uncooked fruits and vegetables.    You can eat all kinds of fresh fruit, all kinds of fresh vegetables, all kinds of freshly made (not pasteurized) juices, all types of sprouts, dried fruit, all herbal teas and small amounts of cold pressed oils such as olive oil, flax seed oil or hemp seed oil.

raw foods detoxAs opposed to a regular raw foods diet, you should not eat nuts and seeds during your raw foods detox program. The reason for this is that nuts and seeds tend to slow down digestion and elimination.    The one exception to this is flax seeds which actually do support smooth elimination.    Although not required on a raw foods detox program, you can benefit by sprinkling some ground flax seeds on your salads every day.

Other ways to approach a raw foods detox include mono-eating (eating only one thing – for example grapes – over a period of several days), fasting on fresh juices only for a period of days and/or following a liquid only diet of blended drinks and soups.     I’ve tried all of them and each can have a positive effect on the body and overall levels of health.   Knowing how and when to combine these types of raw foods detox is important, but beyond the scope of what I want to cover in this article.   I will write further on that in a future  article.

How Long Should I Stay On A Raw Foods Detox?

There are many factors to consider when making the decision of how long to plan for your raw foods detox.    Your age, the overall level of you health, the amount of raw food you’re used to eating, your motivation for going on the program  and the type of raw foods detox you decide to complete all play into the decision.

It’s been my experience that a juice fasting program is great for a period of 3-10 days, while a general raw foods detox program gets the most results when followed for at least two weeks. In general terms you can stay on a raw foods detox as long as you are feeling good and benefiting from it.

Remember, though, that building great health is a step by step process.   It’s not something that happens overnight, but is something that you work on regularly.   So don’t expect miracles in the first days.     Be patient and persistent.

Can A Raw Foods Detox Help Me Lose Weight?

This is the most common question I hear regarding raw foods detox programs.   The simple answer is: “Yes, absolutely, a raw foods detox will no doubt help you lose weight.”    How can I be so sure?   Over the course of 12 plus years helping people achieve their health goals with raw foods, I’ve never run across one person who has failed to lose weight while following a real raw foods detox diet.

There’s a good reason for this.   A raw foods detox diet is by nature a low calorie diet.   Eating  fewer calories than you burn leads to weight loss every time.   It’s really that simple. A typical raw foods detox day will include around 1000 calories, while the average person will burn around 1800 (this of course depends on your activity level).   The result is weight loss.

Other factors that support weight loss on a raw foods detox program are getting plenty of fresh juices with living enzymes that support a faster metabolism, using lemon juice to help break up mucus deposits and getting plenty of fresh, pure water, which helps carry toxins out of the body.

I’m Pregnant.  Can I Do A Raw Foods Detox?

While you certainly can and should consume a lot of fresh raw foods during both pregnancy and nursing – especially leafy green foods high in iron and other minerals – it’s not advisable to follow a raw foods detox during these important developmental periods in your child’s life.   Why?   A raw foods detox is too low in calories to support both the mother and the developing child.

Most mom’s wait until they are finished nursing and then complete a complete raw foods detox at that time.   Again, you can still eat plenty of fresh raw foods before that – just make sure you eat some nuts and seeds as well as cold pressed oils to get plenty of calories.

Final Words On Raw Foods Detox

A raw foods detox can truly be a life changing experience.   So much so that you’ll most likely want to complete one every year.   A brighter and fresher outlook is right around the corner.   I encourage you to try a raw foods detox starting today.

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