The process of cleansing your body of old waste and toxins, by whatever means, is the process of detoxification. The use of a high or 100% raw food diet to achieve this is probably the most sustainable and beneficial way to do it. The period of detoxification will vary depending on how unclean your diet has been and for how long you have been eating it. The signs of detoxification vary from a mild headache to spots and a period of tiredness. The benefits can be profound and life changing.
The concept of not eating cooked food during a detox is not new. The many strict, short and, in some cases celebrity endorsed, detox programs quite often involve only one type of fruit (raw) or one type of juice (raw) or just fruit or vegetables (raw). So it is not a massive leap to understand the relevance of a raw food diet to the concept of detoxing your system. The difference here is that the raw food diet can be approached from two different angles. When somebody chooses to try a raw food diet there is always a natural period of detox (necessary and health giving), but the raw food diet can also be used when your state of health demands a detox period and you want to achieve this without ‘fad’ or lack of sustainability.
The symptoms that present themselves during a raw food detox are as varied as people are. But in general there are six general types of symptoms. These are headaches, tiredness/lethargy, spots, smelly breath, wind and cold like symptoms. Sounds intense doesn’t it? Don’t worry not everyone gets all or even most of these. They are the main experiences of those experiencing a detox. In general many will only have some of these symptoms and to varying degrees of intensity. Intense detox symptoms usually only last somewhere between a few hours and a few days.
The process of detox is your process! Never let the system you are following dictate how you should proceed with these symptoms. It is quite often true that if you can sit out these symptoms at their most intense the period that you experience them for will be shorter. For many though the requirements of family, work and home life mean that these symptoms disrupt our daily tasks and produce unnecessary stress. Each of us must be in tune and in touch with ourselves during the process and only allow as much detoxification as is practical in our lives. The way we handle these symptoms is the key.
There are three very practical things we can do to manage the symptoms. The first is to drink more clean water. Two (for women) to three (for men) litres a day is a good amount to flush the toxins through the body. The second, if possible, is to sleep. Take a nap. If you can only get 10 minutes, that is better than nothing. If you have commitments later, then set an alarm. It can be hard for busy people to give themselves the permission to do this but practice, as they say, makes… and finally, if it is all getting too much, the addition of a little, clean, cooked food to your raw food detox will slow down the process and usually lessen the symptoms noticeably. By clean I mean some boiled brown rice or some lightly steamed vegetables. It is important to listen to your body when embarking on a raw food diet or, in fact, any detox. It is your body and your process so take it at a pace that you are comfortable with. By taking control of the rate of your detox you empower yourself.
The benefits of detoxing are also different for each person. The raw food detox diet has provided many amazing benefits to those who have tried it. From better energy levels, better skin, hair and nails to improved vision and reduction in health issues. The list is as long as the number of people that have tried it. You can, in general, expect to be more energetic, have warmer feet and hands, a ‘glowing’ look to the skin, better memory and of course some improvement in weight and body shape issues. The outcome is in your hands, take your time and empower yourself with information before you start and as you go along. Enjoy the journey as well as the getting there. Welcome to the new you.
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