Cleanse With a Raw Food Diet

In today’s society, many people are looking for ways to eat healthier. Although weight loss is still one of the main reasons why people look for healthier eating options, many want to change their eating habits in general in order to become healthier. Cleansing your body with a raw food diet can be the first step toward developing healthier eating habits all together. A raw food diet provides individuals with a natural diet of unprocessed food that is free of toxins. A raw food cleanse can be helpful to those who want to take a step in changing their eating habits, but may not want to commit to eating only raw foods for a long period of time. There are a few steps one should follow when starting a raw food cleanse.

Steps

Pick a Relatively Quiet Time in Your Life to Begin the Raw Food Cleanse

The less distraction that you have around you, the easier it will be to stick to the cleanse and not stray from your eating plan.

  1. Do some pre-planning and check your calendar for a 7 to 10 day period without work or family events.
    • It is easier to stick to a plan when you do not have multiple business lunches, birthday parties or dinners to attend.
    • If you do not have a 7 to 10 day block of free time available, select a shorter period of time, such as a three-day weekend. Even if you have to return to work after only 3 or 4 days on the cleanse, it still cuts the amount of time working while cleansing in half.
    • Do not begin the cleanse when the time off is due to a holiday, if you will be spending that holiday celebrating with loved ones. Doing so will make it difficult to stick with a cleanse if the people around you are celebrating with food and drink.

Begin Changing Your Eating Habits a Couple of Days Before You Start the Cleanse

By slowly changing some of the items you eat or drink daily, it will help make the transition to eating only raw food much easier.

  1. Cut down on your caffeine intake. Decrease your daily coffee or tea from three cups a day down to two and so on. This will help you eliminate any caffeine withdrawals that you may experience if caffeine is a big part of your day.
  2. Eat very simple, bland foods the day before you begin your cleanse.
    • Try to avoid eating fatty foods such as meats. Steer clear of fried foods, sweets and other foods that are high in fat.
    • Stick with as much vegetables and fruit as possible. If you want to add grains to your meals, choose healthy grains such as oats, wheat or quinoa, and steer clear of anything white and processed.
  3. Avoid alcohol beginning for a couple of days before your cleanse to help your body ease into the detoxification process. The liver is an important part of the detox process as it helps to remove impurities and toxins from the body. Alcohol stresses the liver and can slow down the rate of detoxification.

Familiarize Yourself With the Guidelines of the Cleanse and Follow Them Step by Step

It is important to plan ahead and know exactly what the steps are in the raw food cleanse. Knowing what is expected of you before you begin will make it easier for you to follow the instructions and do exactly what you are supposed to do.

  1. Begin your raw food cleanse by fasting for 24 hours.
    • If you are starting a cleanse on Monday and you eat your dinner the night before on Sunday at 8:00 pm, you will not eat or drink anything other than water until 8:00 pm on Monday.
    • After you complete your fast, you will be able to reintroduce a variety of foods into your diet.
  2. Gradually reintroduce specific foods into your diet after you have completed the 24-hour fast. You will continue to eat these foods for the length of the cleanse.
    • Start by introducing fresh, uncooked fruits back into your diet. Fruits are generally easy on the digestive system and by starting with them first after the fast, you are less likely to experience any stomach discomfort. Examples of fruits that are good for cleansing include apples, pears, watermelon, mangoes, bananas, grapes, peaches, plums, coconut and any berries.
    • After you have introduced fruit, begin adding some fresh, uncooked vegetables to your diet. You can continue to eat fruits, but may want to alternate between fruits and vegetables or eat a combination of the two. Examples of vegetables that have excellent cleansing properties include cucumbers, celery, red beets, cabbage, onions, avocados and dark, leafy greens.
    • Include leaves, stems and roots of plants in your diet if possible.

Keep a Variety of Fruits and Vegetables Around

By having a wide variety of fruits and vegetables around at all times, it will help you to not get bored with what you are eating.

  1. Keep at least one pound of green vegetables handy to add into your diet every day. This will help to minimize your cravings by giving you a wider range of minerals that you would not get if you were just eating fruit.
  2. If you find that you crave salty foods a lot, keep some celery handy. Celery can help curb those salt cravings.
  3. If you think you might like a particular fruit or vegetable, just buy it and try it. Having different fruits and vegetables around can help you to expand your horizons and also keep you from eating the same things everyday.
  4. Add some avocado slices to each meal if you find that eating fruits and vegetables leaves you feeling hungry. Avocados are full of healthy monounsaturated fatty acids that will help to keep you feeling fuller for longer.

Be Creative With the Foods That You Are Eating

Just because your foods have to be raw does not mean that they have to be boring. Get creative and look for alternative ways to prepare your foods.

  1. Blend fresh fruits with ice and water to create a smoothie. The added liquid combined with the blended fruit can make you feel fuller than you would if you just ate the fruit.
  2. Use a commercial juicer if possible to juice some fresh fruits and vegetables once or twice per day. Juicing provides variety and provides all of the beneficial nutrients in a liquid state.
  3. Prepare a raw vegetable salad, but incorporate some fruits that you would not normally add to a salad.
    • A raw spinach leaf salad can be dressed up with some fresh sliced strawberries and pears.
    • Add some flavor to a salad of tossed dark, leafy greens by squeezing some fresh lemon or lime juice over the top.
    • Prepare a guacamole dip from fresh avocados, tomatoes, red onion and lime juice. Use it as a dip for other vegetables.

Know The Foods You Should Avoid

Make sure to pay careful attention to what you are buying when preparing for your diet so that you don’t have foods around that you are not allowed to eat while on the cleanse.

  1. Avoid nuts, seeds and oils.
  2. Do not use dried herbs or seasonings. If you feel you really need seasoning, use fresh herbs to season your food.
  3. Do not hydrate with anything other than water while you are on your cleanse. Drink your water cold, warm or hot. Once per day, choose a sparkling water to add variety, if desired. It is acceptable to have one cup of unsweetened chamomile tea per day, if desired.

Tips

  • Make sure to wash all of your fresh foods thoroughly before consuming any of them.
  • There is a lot of advice out there on how your raw food cleanse should be structured and what specific food is best for you during your cleanse. It is important to follow tips from experts and to follow the plan that is laid out for your specific cleanse. However, it is also important to do what makes you feel comfortable. If doing an all-juice diet is what you feel would work best for you, then that is what you should try. If you want to combine the fresh juices with your vegetables and fruits, this may work well for you also. Sticking with only vegetables and fruits may also be the way to go for you. By choosing a plan that is recommended by experts and also works well with your personal preferences, you are more likely to complete the cleanse successfully.
  • It is important to keep in mind that the cleanse you are doing is going to help your body and mind in the long run. By cleansing your body and freeing it of toxins, you are on your way to feeling younger and healthier, and having much more energy.

Warnings

  • If you are a big coffee or tea drinker, this cleanse may cause you to have headaches during the beginning stages as your body withdrawals from the caffeine it is used to ingesting.
  • There can be downsides to completely changing your diet and cleansing with only raw foods. People have reported excessive tiredness, irritability and extreme food cravings. Others have said that the diet caused them to become very nauseated or vomit.
  • Do not attempt this or any other "cleanse" without consulting a physician first, especially those calling for a 24-hour fast, which can be dangerous for those with certain medical conditions.
  • Be aware that many of "natural cleanses" that are not supported by any scientific evidence and have no proven medical value.

Things You'll Need

  • Fresh fruits and vegetables
  • Plenty of water
  • Vegetable juicer (optional)
  • Commercial blender (optional)
  • Food processor (optional)
  • Citrus juicer (optional)

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Sources and Citations

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