Raw Food Detox

Cleansing vs. Detoxification

The body is always cleansing. It is designed to eliminate its own waste products, but not all the processed and harmful things we feed it. Detoxification is the function of the liver. The liver breaks down and neutralizes toxic substances and acids into non-toxic substances before they enter the bloodstream to be eliminated (part of cleansing). See more on this on our Alkaline Foods page.

Raw Food Detox And The Liver

One of the main goals of the raw food detox is to get the liver clean. From years of eating cooked and processed foods, the liver has been extremely overworked. When the liver is too full of toxins, it must release them to be stored elsewhere in the body. We call this “dis-ease.” The major diseases are all diet related. The raw food detox is a major part of a physical path back to radiant health.

Raw Food Detox – The Process

As we start eating only raw food, nutrients speed their way to the cells. The lymph fluid bathes every cell and when these new nutrients enter the cell, they push out old waste/toxic matter into the lymph fluid. The blood draws the waste from the lymph system to be eliminated.

All of these are symptoms of the body cleansing an overloaded system, not evidence of illness. These are good signs; we want these poisons out of our bodies. Releasing them now keeps them from building up and causing serious health issues and diseases later on, so it is important NOT to stop the process.

Raw Food Detox Symptoms

Detox symptoms are temporary. Your body knows the best way to cleanse and detox, causing the least harm – even though it may be uncomfortable for a while.

Every body is different, therefore your detox will vary. You can do it quickly and intensely or long and drawn out – but less uncomfortably. It’s up to you.

What The Symptoms Mean

Let’s take a look at what specific symptoms on a raw food detox may mean.

• Headaches – an intense migraine-type headache may be caffeine or sugar withdrawal.
• Racing heart and chest pains are usually from drugs (medical or not) being released into the bloodstream, and the body’s attempt to get rid of them – giving the same effect as when they were ingested.
• High blood pressure may be from obstructions in the blood vessels, like cooked fat or protein. Onion or garlic may lower the pressure.
• Feeling cold means the body is sending a great deal of its energy and blood inward to cleanse and heal vital organs, leaving less heat to warm extremities. This will pass, but stay warm. The heating pad becomes my best friend. Also, starting your detox in warm weather, Spring or Summer, helps.
• Stomachache and diarrhea is your body saying “stop feeding me. I’m busy healing.”
• Constipation – the body is eliminating a lot of waste from the colon so things are bound to get a little backed up. Drinking more water will help.

Raw Food Detox And Colon Hydrotherapy

Colon hydrotherapy speeds up detoxification. It allows a great amount of toxic waste to be flushed out quickly, so we don’t have to endure extreme detox symptoms. The primary goal of colon hydrotherapy is to empty the bowels completely, in order for the lymph system to drain.

It also removes encrusted matter from the inter-intestinal lining and allows the liver to flush and release as well. Colon hydrotherapy is a way to keep our colon mechanically operating properly; it is not a crutch to help us eliminate.

The growth of healthy bacterial flora can be assisted by eating raw foods, wild plants and/or fermented foods. Probiotics (cultures of beneficial intestinal bacteria) will work effectively to restore harmonious digestive conditions. These are available at most health food stores.

You may also speed up the detoxification process by doing enemas coupled with fasting on lemon and water, and fresh green juices. Dry brushing is also helpful to release more toxins from the skin. See more about dry brushing on our Exercise page.

Raw Food Detox The Easy Way

Along with colon hydrotherapy, there are some things that can ease the detox. If you are eating raw food for your detox and you want to slow it down a bit, eat more avocado, seeds and green leafy vegetables. If you are still too uncomfortable, cooked food will stop detoxification. Eat some steamed vegetables. When you are back in your comfort zone, continue with the detox.

Most people are low in minerals such as calcium, magnesium and iron. Greens are an important aid to an easy detoxification. They have the perfect combination of minerals to alkalinize your system.

Raw Food Detox The Fast Way

To speed up the detoxification, drink plenty of raw fruit juices. These will encourage the cellular elimination of wastes. Drink lots of green veggie juice and green lemonade. Drink as much water as your thirst desires. In fact, I recommend all liquid – juices, and green smoothies – for the quickest raw food detox.

Raw Food Detox And Healing

Just as it takes years for your tissues/cells to become saturated with toxins, it takes years to dissolve and eliminate these wastes. David Wolfe finds that on a 100% raw plant food diet, it takes one month to reverse one year on a cooked toxic diet. It’s up to you how fast you want to heal.

In seven years the body replaces every cell. In just a few years you can completely reconstruct your entire body from brand new high quality materials.

After The Detox

So far, most of us have lived in a constant state of detoxifying and re-toxifying. So it’s really an individual choice as to how much more junk we ingest, overloading our organs until they can no longer handle the toxic load and either detox or break down and become diseased.

Now that you have detoxified and realized how great it feels, hopefully you will be motivated to keep your new body pristine and thriving by feeding it only the best food nature has to offer – raw plant food.