Raw detox vs. other detox plans

[jenimac]

I ask this because I saw an iridologist/herb man last week and he recommends a strict body cleanse/detox system. I haven't gone raw yet, but I was planning to for the next monthly challenge. But this man's cleanse is very specific and I'm not sure if I would get the same benefits if I take his herbs on a raw diet. Let me know what you guys think. Here is his plan:

Avoid:
sugar/sweetners
flour/grains
fruit
raw veggies
peanut butter
nuts/seeds
dairy
soda/juice/coffee/tea/alcohol

He notes that all of the above will "interfere with the cleansing of the body."

Use instead:
honey
brown/wild rice
oatmeal
herbal teas made w/ distilled water
all types of veggies (as long as they are steamed/cooked)
olive oil
eggs
small amounts of meat

That is his Body Cleanse, along with the use of 5 specific herbal combinations. He says it will cleanse the body of all sorts of toxins and parasites.

NOW, my question is, do you think the same cleansing effect can occur if I go raw instead while using his herbal combinations? I've read that raw does help you detox, so I'm assuming that I would get similar benefits, but I'm not positive. My husband says I should go ahead and do the herbalist's program (which lasts from 3-6 months) and then go raw...but I already have my brand new dehydrator just waiting for me! haha. I need opinions! Thanks. :)

[Rawkinlocs]

YES! Eating raw and living foods will definitely bring about detox...for many it's even too intense so they back off or start adding in cooked foods.

But if you simply go raw, your body will detox. These programs and such are usually designed with the cooked food eater in mind...going raw eliminates the need for any 'special' plan. The detox is not in WHAT you eat but rather in what you eliminate from your diet.

Tell me, how in the world will raw fruits and veggies "interfere" with cleansing but eating small amounts of meat, oatmeal (cooked, no less I'm sure), rice and eggs going to assist in cleansing? That just seems backwards to me. Fruit is very cleansing...veggies, especially green leafies, give your body the fiber it needs to "sweep" things out. A juice fast/feast would probably do you better than the plan laid out for you. To me, it seems that the plan he laid out is moreso to have you detox, but at a slower rate.

I agree with him on getting rid of dairy, sugar/sweeteners (processed, bleached and chemical-based ones that is), flour and grains (cooked), peanut butter and the soda/coffee/etc.

But eating raw and living plant foods is the BEST route to go.

[jenimac]

Okay great, that's what I was thinking...that his plan was for SAD eaters. If I wanted to continue on a eating the SAD I would probably try his plan.

Should I still take his herbs with the raw diet or not? Or would a juice feast be sufficient enough? He seemed awful concerned about my lungs (we live in a moldy apartment) and recommended specific herbs to clean them out. Are there certain raw fruits/veggies you can eat that would do the same thing?

[Rawkinlocs]

If you're okay with taking herbal supplements or herbs, then it probably will be okay to do that. Some say that if you eat raw, you won't need any herbs or supplements...that is a decision that you have to make for yourself because I'm of the mind that sometimes we can "assist" our bodies in the cleansing process. Like for me, enemas were a key component in my cleansing when I first went raw as well as occasionally now. Some are dead-set against them and say that they are unnecessary but they work for ME and so I incorporate them to aid my body especially whenever I have a detox episode such as cold symptoms etc. and they really do help. So, if you feel okay with the herbs once you've began taking them, then they may prove beneficial for a short while as you initially begin cleansing/detoxing.

[Eva]

There is no choice but to do some degree of detox on the raw diet. My husband is following along sometimes, but not 100% raw. He has been 100% for two days by default because I've been "uncooking" so much, and he's detoxing big time today!!!

The only waste I lost on raw has been in my gut, where I apparently kept some extra goods. Gross. Gone now. My skin has cleared up big time, and I could go on, but I know the changes have been me ridding my body of toxic buildup.

I would say nix the meat and brown rice and the other misc. items that are not the worst things you could have, but NOT ideal either. I am convinced raw is the most beneficial "diet" any human being could have after my experiences with many different diets (not stuff like South Beach etc, just lots of meat, cooked vegetarian, whole wheat, all of my different phases).

The one thing I am a little loose about is herbs. I drink tea (sometimes but not often even with caffeine), and I do seek out raw herbs but do not miss out on great recipes if I can't find them.

Why not do both together? Do his herb plan, sure. But maybe even go raw for just a month first (if you're up for it) to see if you would even need anything else. Raw rawks.

:::Getting off my soap box::: (I didn't mean to write so much!) Good luck, and I do hope you find everything you need here. :)

[spiralgirl]

jenimac,

I'm fairly new to raw myself and have been that way for 4 months now. I do believe in herbs myself just because they were a big part of my life when SAD. In time I believe I may not need any herbs or tinctures but I've been getting bad allergies lately so take a tincture for that.

Just dive into RAW if you can, you will feel amazing.

[spiralgirl]

If you're okay with taking herbal supplements or herbs, then it probably will be okay to do that. Some say that if you eat raw, you won't need any herbs or supplements...that is a decision that you have to make for yourself because I'm of the mind that sometimes we can "assist" our bodies in the cleansing process. Like for me, enemas were a key component in my cleansing when I first went raw as well as occasionally now. Some are dead-set against them and say that they are unnecessary but they work for ME and so I incorporate them to aid my body especially whenever I have a detox episode such as cold symptoms etc. and they really do help. So, if you feel okay with the herbs once you've began taking them, then they may prove beneficial for a short while as you initially begin cleansing/detoxing.

Rawkinlocs,

Can I pick your brain? I don't yet have Alissa's book and plan to get it soon. I've been raw for 15 weeks now and just wondering when detox symptoms are going to end? I know they go on for a lifetime and I got David Wolfe's book out of the library and I read a part where he said for every year you ate SAD it will take a week raw to detox. Is this true? I'm tired of detoxing. I have good days and bad days. The last two weeks I've had bad allergies in the morning like when I was SAD. Is there a point where you feel amazing and detox goes bye bye?

How long did it take you to get over your initial symptoms? I know everyone detoxes differently and my diet before RAW was not good (a lot of junk food). My mom who is down to 126 pounds and has been RAW for 18 weeks has real bad chills and has felt flu like all day. The same thing happened to my sister last week so I'm guessing it's going to hit me soon too.

What are your thoughts on this? Hope I'm not taking over this thread but you mentioned you get enema's when you have flu like symptoms. How often do you get flu like symptoms? How long have you been raw? What other detox things do you experience if any?

[Rawkinlocs]

Hi Spiralgirl,

Well, you're right that for one, detox will vary from person to person..the degree, HOW they detox, etc.

Also, I do agree that we are EVER detoxing. I don't mean in the sense that we just go day-to-day detoxing and never feeling great but that, be-CAUSE we don't live in a perfect world or a perfect environment...that because things are in the air or we may not always eat organic or we live amongst other people who carry things or... our bodies are always going to have things it needs to cleanse itself from. So, it's not uncommon for a raw fooder to one day after YEARS or so of never having a cold that they suddenly develop cold symptoms or feel groggy or have a skin outbreak.

But the MAJOR stuff...the detoxification from past eating and lifestyle choices...I wouldn't say THAT lasts a lifetime but I do agree that we should be patient with our bodies because we lived our lives the previous way longer than the current way we are living them through eating raw and living foods.

We also have to take into consideration if we ever had past illnesses/conditions that we took meds for and suppressed the conditions...this will also bring about a longer detox for some because the body has to go back and clean all that out that was suppressed before as well as the meds that were used.

We also have to take into consideration environmental elements. Do we work in environments where things are getting into our lungs...dust and mold and other chemicals, etc. or do we live in big cities where there is a lot of pollution in the air. All of these things play a factor in this whole act of bodily cleansing.

But eating raw and living foods gives our bodies more of a fighting chance to cleanse, heal and rebuild. Sometimes we can aid the process through cleanses such as enemas, herbs, fasting, sea salt flushes, liver cleanses, etc.

Again, some find these things unnecessary but some utilize these things with success.

I don't have cleansing episodes very often at all. I've been into raw foods for about 4 years, but not totally raw that whole time so that also plays a factor in my personal journey of detoxification. But in the initial first going raw, I did the enemas to help with not only the cold symptoms but also the headaches I used to get during detox. I got headaches before raw and often took meds for them. I don't recall how long it took but it wasn't very long at all. Another detox episode I had was a couple of severe yeast infections (had and "treated" those prior to raw too). And, skin outbreaks (acne) are another way my body detoxes as well as fatigue. If you'd like to "talk" more, feel free to email me!

[spiralgirl]

Rawkinlocs,

Thanks for the great information. ;)