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Raw, Juice Fasting, and All Sorts of Cleanses!

I'm new to raw, and am looking forward to going to a close 100% RAW! I read online it's best to detox first with juice fasting--but it also said it's okay just to go raw and eat--and that's your detox. It also said that you need a liver and kidney cleanse and how important it is to do it--BUT couples have to do it together or else they just give everything back to each other. My husband is not raw and shows no interest in becoming RAW. What is the best way to cleanse my system in the beginning? And if I do a juice fast, does it have to be 30 days? Thanks!

Comments

  • kandacekandace Raw Newbie

    chattanoog, I think this is really a matter of personal choice. Going from a SAD diet to eating 100% is going to be incredibly cleansing right off the bat. When I first started eating raw foods, I worked with a nutritionist who saw me through a 2 week cleanse that culminated in a 3 day juice fast (the cleanse was for mostly medical reasons). I found this break from my old diet incredibly helpful psychologically in getting into a new routine with raw.

    I do think that it is important to have a good support team when you are making such a big change. We can definitely be that support. Also, you might consider seeing if there are raw potlucks in your area or working with a nutritionist who is knowledgeable about a raw diet.

  • carrie6292carrie6292 Raw Newbie

    I do 7-10 day juice fasts and find it thoroughly helpful. I don't believe you have to do 30 days to be successful. Going raw is definitely a cleanse in itself. Beet Juice is definitely cleansing for the liver, so try to drink some beet juice - i give it to my husband because he always has abnormal liver enzymes. I find celery and cucumber juice to be very detoxing as well... I'd start with just the raw food diet and then, when your ready, do a 10 day juice fast. It's much easier than you would think - and you feel wonderful while doing it! Congrats on going raw and good luck :)

  • Hi I am definitely a novice at this whole new raw food thing, though in the past I have tried to eat a clean diet. However as of late I have really slipped in eating bad foods mainly due to feeling down about a recent health problem. I am currently doing a juice fast to cleanse my system of the bad foods I have been eating and the meds I had been taking as well. I must admit I am a little afraid of stopping the cleanse. I feel so great right now I am afraid when I begin to start eating solid foods again that A my stomach won't like it and B my system will become inflammed again. ( I didn't realize how toxic I was feeling until now because since the detox I feel so good) Any suggestions on how to start slowly into the new raw food diet? Also have any suggestions how to boost your protien intake while eating raw. Because I fear a chance of muscle catabolism.

  • joannabananajoannabanana Raw Newbie

    timheaven, coming off a juice fast is just as important as going on one. i did a 6 day juice fast (i planned for 7, but i was just so weak that i had to eat). my first meal was 4 oz of soaked prunes with the water. since they are basically a natural laxative, they should go through you within an hour or 2 if you are really clean. if you're not clean, then it could take 4-8 hrs. that will let you know if you should drink juice for the rest of the day or not. if you think you're clean, just make lunch a small meal of juicy fruits and then a small salad for dinner. keep drinking juice throughout the day though.

    after the prune test, i wasn't clean so i drank juice for the rest of the day and the next day.

  • ZemphiraZemphira Raw Newbie

    I've been raw for a little over 2 months now and I've been considering doing a juice cleanse. My main concern to be honest is the fact that I still drink coffee and I'm uneasy about going through the caffeine withdrawals which can be pretty awful.

    So far my transition from vegan to raw foods has been relatively smooth and uneventful. However, about two weeks ago, last I did experience problems with really bad gas and bloating, and I wasn't sure if it was just some bad nuts or detoxing. I'm still a bit more gassy than I'm used to and I have to admit, this is a little disconcerting for me since I really didn't have that problem prior to going raw -- in fact, not since I gave up dairy or heavily processed foods like Boca burgers (wow, those suckers really disagreed with my tummy).

    Also, I've noticed that my bowel movements have not been as regular (or frequent) as they were in the beginning of going raw or even being just vegan. I've been skimming through the forums regarding this and found a plethora of information. Some suggest adding more flax seeds to their morning smoothies, some say add more fat to their diet, while others suggest more fiber or even magnesium. And then there have been some posts indicating that perhaps more fluids need to be consumed due to the high content of fiber being consumed. All this information, coupled with what I've already read about going raw sort of has me a bit confused. I'm hoping that this is just a phase and eventually my body will regulate itself and become more "regular" again.

    I eat seeds, vegetables and fuits, but I don't believe my diet is deficient or excessive in anything and apart from the coffee, I don't practice any poor eating habits. I eat primarily raw however I do throw in some nutritional yeast, non-raw olives and some non-raw ingredients here and there (canned artichoke hearts). I think all things considered, my diet is pretty good so again, hopefully things will balance out soon.

  • blueyzblueyz Raw Newbie

    The last 'cleanse' I did was actually through a friends cafe(year old, one of 2 in state and only minutes from my apt) about 3 weeks ago. I only did it 3 days but saving the $$ to do it 5 days next time(and I figured it out, the $$ IS worth it). For me even after 3 days I felt great and didn't want to go back to whole foods by the end so I did soups and smoothies plus juice for a few days and slowly added in back other items. I think it went so well because the juices had so much flavor AND there was a soup a day, which while blended had the consistency to make you have to chew it...but it was only one meal. The smoothies I had more of a problem with, but mainly because my body doesn't do well with nuts or much coconut meat(but loves the water). I can do seeds, and like hemp seeds blended with some other items and then used in a smoothie. Looking into chia and quinoa myself for more protein since I have majorly cut my animal intake(not vegan but only eat local and MAJORLY reduced amounts)

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