Rock-n-Raw

Hey Friends!

I hope your week is off

to a wonderful start.

Mine sure is.

This time, last week, 

I was in the middle of

a three-day raw detox

eating plan and I promised

to check back in and

give you the honest-to-

goodness low-down

skinny on the whole 

experience.


{Cue drum roll!}

It was great.

Truly.

So, let's dive into the

raw

green

purposeful

clarifying

humbling

details.

P&H:  Remind us why

you wanted to do a detox.

Me:  This time of year is

crazy, with spring sports

and all of the end of school-year

activities that have our family

grabbing meals on the run. 

While I always make sure

that my family is eating well, I

let the ball slip on my own health

and wasn't making the best

choices for nutrition.  I don't

get enough sleep and really

need to draw as much energy

from my food as possible.  This

seemed like a good way to

focus on that goal for a few days

and hopefully jump-start the

desire to continue eating real,

unprocessed foods all summer long!

P&H:  Why a raw detox?

Me:  A raw {vegan} diet means food

not cooked above 118 degrees Fahrenheit,

so it maintains all of its digestive enzymes.

The raw foods act like little sponges

and soak up and carry away toxins such

as heavy metals, chemicals and pesticides

from the body in a way that cooked

foods do not.  The menu was also organic,

gluten-free and had no added sugar.  This

increases nutrients such as vitamins and

minerals, phytonutrients and antioxidants 

and increases enzymes to keep the body in 

good working order.  Beverage choices were 

water or herbal tea.

P&H:  What was a typical day's

menu like?

Me:  I am lucky to have a friend who is a

chef and prepared the detox menus fresh

each day.  I always looked forward to picking

up my daily food and seeing what Emily had

created  for her detoxers to enjoy!  

Breakfast might be a creamy smoothie made from 

spinach, bananas, strawberries and Brazil nut

milk.  Lunch was another smoothie, such as 

the filling avocado, pineapple and basil one 

I had on the first day.  Dinner was a cold soup, 

such as carrot ginger, which was served with 

home made crackers or flat bread.  The rosemary 

crackers were my favorite.  I also had a raw 

energy bar each day, made from almonds,
buckwheat, walnuts, coconut, almond butter,
honey, vanilla and sea salt.

The lack of preservatives and emulsifiers meant 

that all of the food felt really pure.

P&H:  Did you experience any side

affects from eating this way?

Me:  I had some minor headaches,

which was probably due to eliminating

caffeine for those three days.  The detox

made me realize that I'd been using

coffee as a crutch both morning and

afternoon for the last month or so,

which isn't good.  A positive side affect

was realizing how satisfying the flavors

of fresh fruits, veggies and herbs can be.  When

I went back to normal food, it seemed

very salty; even processed food that seems

natural  can be loaded with sodium!

P&H:  Were you tempted to cheat?

Me:  While it was challenging to cook 

meals for others without partaking, I

knew that I'd only be short-changing

 myself if I ate or drank anything not 

on the plan. So, no, I stuck with it 

all the way through.  Stepping out of
my comfort zone and testing my self-
control {and winning! as Charlie Sheen
would say} were positive benefits for me.

P&H:  What did you miss the most

while on the detox?

Me:  The only thing that I really missed

was my morning coffee....because I love

the way it smells when it is brewing.  That

first hot sip, tempered with half and half

and yes, the little jolt.....the I'm awake and

ready to rock and roll through my day feeling!

P&H:  What changes have you made 

since finishing the raw detox?

Me:  I have tried to get more sleep, but

am still grappling with that.  I just have so

much I need {and want!} to pack into each

and every day.  I am usually asleep almost

instantly when my head hits the pillow.  I'm

drinking a lot more water and I find that I

crave fresh fruit and veggies, so am constantly

looking to work them into my diet.  This week

I am cooking up some nutritious food that

can be kept in the fridge, ready to consume

despite my busy schedule.  Emily's blog has

some really wonderful, quick recipes.  At the
moment, our cupboards contain very few 
processed snacks.

P&H:  Would you do this detox plan, again?

Me:  Absolutely.   One of the positive side

affects that can come from doing a raw detox

is mental clarity, which I absolutely experienced.

I would highly recommend it for anyone.  Even

if you don't have an Emily to prepare it for you,

there are plenty of raw detox recipes on-line

 that you  could make yourself at home.  

P&H:  What did your family think?

Me:  They were supportive of the concept, but

it was hard for them to get past the look of the

green smoothies!  You have to be open to new

colors and flavor sensations.  Not everyone is cool 

tasting cilantro, for instance, in their smoothie : )
The kids seemed especially interested in the menu.

Thanks to all of you who left me such encouraging

comments about the detox.  I just love you all!  

I hope that I was able to answer a lot of your 

questions about the detox experience, here.  

If you have anything specific questions, please 
contact me by e-mail:  privetandholly@gmail.com
I am very happy to lend an ear. 

Sending you my 
purest
 organic
 raw
 thoughts for a terrific week
 full of energy and happiness! 

Now, off to grab a banana......

xx

Suzanne

Posted in nutrition , wellness