Raw Cleanse Debriefing
I have officially completed my raw cleanse. And wow, I loved it. It was nothing like the detox of a straight juice fast and I have to say I enjoyed that. I liked the combination of actually eating with the juicing. It gave me a fantastic perspective on just how much fresh food I can incorporate into my regular diet.
It gave me the motivation to start eating a mostly clean diet. To be honest, that is pretty much what I did. I eliminated breads, dairy, sugar, alcohol and meats but kept veggies, fruits, some grains, beans, legumes, and lots of fresh juices. However by the end, my body was definitely craving meat and sugar. Perhaps I should detox a little more from the sugar…
Here’s what I learned:- There is no way in H*** I could eat the traditional raw diet of dehydrating all your starches etc. Too much work and not enough enjoyment for my level of foodieism. (Can we make that a word?)
- It is possible to actually get in several servings of fruits and vegetables in a daily diet. You just have to be creative.
- Cucumbers were my best friends. They substituted crackers and chips for all my raw dips.
- Raw didn’t make me feel deprived – I just ate a lot of those raw foods.
- Protein in the morning was very important to get through the day. I actually had 2 local farm eggs cooked in coconut oil with salt and pepper every morning. Perhaps not raw, but clean.
- Having prepared meals saved me. There were times I didn’t feel like making another salad, so I just reached for a prepared meal that I had made earlier in the week.
- Fresh local fruit was a life saver for those sugar cravings.
All in all, it was a very positive experience. I eventually felt clean and clear and my foggy brain seemed to mostly disappear. I am looking forward to keeping this as a way of life and making it more of a lifestyle. Of course I will add in the occasional dairy, cocktails, sugar and most likely the more than occasional meat – but I feel empowered to make fruits and veggies my go to resource during the day. Yay for raw, yay for clean and fresh eating habits. Now is the time for integration.
How did your cleanse go?
