If you’re looking for a health boost reset a raw vegan cleanse may be right for you. A raw vegan cleanse consists of uncooked fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. When doing this kind of cleanse it’s common for those on it to find tired and irritable for the first four days because of the body detoxing from caffeine, sugar, and heavy processed foods. Once the detox is over you’ll start feeling the best you ever have (speaking from personal experience). Many report feeling energetic, having mental clarity, better digestion, and overall better health.
Please remember to check with a doctor or dietitian before diving into a cleanse. This is not medical advice, but rather information on how to go about a raw vegan cleanse, along with tips on doing it safely.
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A raw food diet plan is a form of a plant-based diet. The major difference is the raw food food lifestyle is when one consumes uncooked foods in their natural form. A raw food diet plan excludes all processed foods and animal products. This diet includes fresh fruit, vegetables, seeds, and nuts. The raw food diet has been known to have several health benefits. By eliminating processed foods and consuming whole fruits and vegetables, your body gets a wide variety of vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
Typically those eating raw ingredients report seeing several improvements that include; higher energy levels, improved digestion, mental clarity, weight loss, and overall better health. It also has been known to aid weight loss and reduce the risk the chronic illnesses, like heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. These foods are naturally lower in calories, so weight loss is almost inevitable. There are also amazing stories of people reversing their type two diabetes by changing their diet to a whole food plant-based or raw vegan diet! The healthiest way to consume only raw foods is to make sure that you’re eating a wide range of foods to absorb each plant’s essential nutrients. When eating this way, it’s important to remember to eat large portions and ensure you’re filling up and gaining more fiber, vitamins, and nutrients. If you want to make sure you’re getting enough protein, vitamins, and minerals, take multivitamins and use protein powder in a smoothie.
Remember, this diet isn’t about depriving yourself, it’s about abundance! Abundance in nutrients. Abundance in energy. Abundance in life. Make sure you’re eating plenty of whole fruit and vegetables. Get a good jump-start to the day and fill up on fresh juice or raw fruits. Snack on raw nuts, seeds, and fruits. And make sure to have a large salad with leafy greens.
When aiming for a healthy lifestyle whether or not you want to take the raw lifestyle plunge, fresh foods are always the way to go. This list may seem short but think about the variety of food within these categories and the endless amount of food pairings that can be made with them. The options are quite literally endless!
– Fruits: apples, bananas, berries, melons, etc.
– Vegetables: leafy greens, celery, carrots, cucumbers, peppers, sprouts, etc.
– Seeds and nuts: almonds, cashews, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, etc.
The high heat within the cooking process can reduce the nutritional value of plant-based foods. However, raw food isn’t only fresh food. There are several ways to process fruits and vegetables while maintaining their nutrient integrity. You can “cook” foods, but the cooking temperature has to stay below 118 degrees F. Here are a few more examples of foods that are still considered raw.
The daily recipes within the raw food experience are high in nutritional value because the foods still contain their nutrient integrity. Here are foods and cooking methods that raw foodists avoid.
– Refined oils, like olive oil, coconut oil, etc
– Refined sugars, brown sugar, white sugar, powdered sugar
– Roasted nuts or nut butter, like peanut butter
Whether you’re looking to boost your digestive system or clean up your eating habits, a cleanse can help! There is a wide variety of cleanses out there, but typically we’re all after one goal when doing one, to feel better and boost overall health. Several benefits can come from a cleanse like better heart health, weight loss, improved digestion, more energy, better brain function, reduced inflammation, and more! When doing a cleanse you’ll want to eliminate processed food and focus on consuming high amounts of fresh fruits, vegetables, seeds, and nuts for optimal minerals and vitamins. By cutting out processed food heavy in refined sugar, oils, and chemicals your body can bounce back. It can take up to a week to start feeling better, but some notice feeling better within three days.
The benefits of the raw food diet are endless. If you’re on the Standard American Diet, like I was you’ll be feeling much better when consuming raw food. The benefits of consuming a raw meal plan are weight loss, mental clarity, more energy, better digestion, reduced risk of heart disease, a boost in your immune system, lower blood cholesterol levels, reduced inflammation, and overall better health.
This part is totally up to you, but I say give it at least 7 days. Depending on where you’re at in your journey you may experience detoxing symptoms for 1-2 weeks during a cleanse. To avoid heavy detox symptoms during a cleanse, stop eating certain foods up to a month before the cleanse. For example, cut out coffee, sugar, or alcohol several weeks beforehand. That way, when doing the cleanse you’ll experience the benefits sooner and have an easier time staying on track.
When doing a raw food cleanse detox symptoms you may experience are, headaches, fatigue, and constipation. To avoid heavy detox symptoms stop eating foods that give symptoms up to a month before the cleanse. For example, cut out coffee, sugar, or alcohol several weeks beforehand. That way, when doing the cleanse you’ll experience the full benefits sooner and will have an easier time staying on track. If you’re experiencing constipation you’re body may be adjusting to a high amount of fiber that it’s not used to. If this is the case, remember to drink a lot of water, take a probiotic, and if you have a juicer sip on beet juice in the mornings. If you’re experiencing hunger, remember that this is about abundance! Make sure you’re eating enough calories too. It does take a few days for your body to adjust from eating heavy food to lighter ones. Always eat until you’re full and satisfied. This is a new way of eating and it can take time to adjust.
The raw food diet, often called raw foodism or raw veganism, is composed of mostly or completely raw and unprocessed foods. A food is considered raw if it has never been heated over 104–118°F (40–48°C). It should also not be refined, pasteurized, treated with pesticides or otherwise processed in any way.
There are a few reasons why you may feel tired. One reason may be because you’re not getting enough calories. When doing a raw food cleanse keep in mind that your plate will look different compared to how you typically eat. Since the foods within the raw food diet are low in calories, it’s important to eat very large portions. For example, typically I would eat a small salad for lunch. During a raw food cleanse I fill a 77oz salad bowl with a variation of greens, vegetables, seeds, and nuts for dinner. It does take a long time to eat, but you will receive a wide range of nutrients and vitamins. Speaking of vitamins, you may not be getting all the vitamins you need. So be sure to take a multivitamin to ensure you’re getting your daily doses. The last reason why you might be feeling tired is the lack of protein. I love using clean protein powder during a clean. I typically have a protein smoothie for lunch. Some raw foodies don’t believe in taking supplements, but I like to keep things on the safe side and use vitamins and protein powder.
The short answer is no, coffee does not fit within the guidelines of the raw vegan diet. This is because coffee is a stimulant and the beans are roasted and then brewed at high temperatures. If you’re craving a hot drink, I would suggest reaching for an herbal tea.
Absolutely! Any time we’re getting processed foods out of our system our body is boosted by the benefits. By doing so you’ll gain more energy, and mental clarity and start feeling like yourself again. It’s easy to be used to feeling lethargic all the time and bobbed down. 80% of our energy goes to digesting the food we eat. Heavily processed foods are hard for our digestive system to break down leaving us with no energy and exhausted. When we feast on light natural food.
The first thing we need to look at when starting a raw vegan meal plan is the tools in your kitchen. You don’t need to go out and buy a new appliance to complete the cleanse. Take inventory of what you do have and go from there. Some helpful appliances are a high-speed blender, food processor, juicer, sharp knives, cutting board, and dehydrator.
There are thousands of delicious vegan meals that raw food dieters can create, but here are the easiest beginner meals that fit within the diet.
Now for the raw vegan meal plan! From what I’ve observed for years, many raw foodies intake foods that are easy to digest to heavier food throughout the day. Raw food recipes are simple to make and don’t take much time to prep.
Here’s an example of a typical food day:
Breakfast: Cold pressed juice
Lunch: Protein smoothie or smoothie bowl
Dinner: Large salad
Snack: fruits, nuts, or seeds.
It is common for raw vegans to start the day with 32 oz of juice or a fruit smoothie. When you consume juice or a smoothie, you receive all of the vitamins and nutrients within those foods in a form that is easy to digest. Since around 80% of the body’s energy goes towards digesting food, an easy breakfast like this will give you more energy to start the day. Another option would be a large bowl of fruit or a mono meal. Here are more breakfast ideas:
For lunch, a large fruit salad, a protein smoothie bowl, or a large protein smoothie are great options. I love using Sunwarrior protein powder. Smoothie bowls are nice because you can add toppings to them for additional nutrients. Some topping options can be dried fruits, fresh fruit, nuts, seeds, nut butter, or chia seed jam. Here are more lunch recipe ideas:
A large salad with a wide variety of greens, fruits, or vegetables, topped with nuts, seeds, or a homemade dressing gives the body a wide range of vitamins and nutrients. Remember to always eat a large salad. I love using a large bowl, like this one. Here are more recipe ideas:
Snacks can be just about anything within the raw food range. A small salad, smoothie, smoothie bowl, juice, fresh fruit or veggies with a dip or nuts and seeds.
