Fasting before going raw: helps to decrease the initial raw food detox period?

[Diana I.]

Sooo I decided to finally transit to eating 100% raw. But I have one question related to fasting before.

Could water fasting before going raw decrease detox symptoms that will come with eliminating cooked foods from the diet? My thought is that since fasting cleans your body up from toxins, you sort of come to raw food diet already clean and no longer experience severe detox symptoms?

On the other hand, in my particular situation, I've been eating healthy during last year (vegan, no processed food not even a tofu, all organic, lentils, beans, whole grains excluding those containing gluten) and mostly raw for the last month (one serving of cooked food per one or two days). So maybe I don't really have to worry about detox that much at all, since my body is already relatively clean?

And if fasting helps indeed, how long approx. should it be done for?

Would be great if somebody of you guys could give me some advice!

[Mary Kay]

My thoughts are, that if anything fasting would cause more detox symptoms right away, than if you transitioned --and like you say, you've been fairly "clean" this past year.

But what fasting does for some is MENTALLY helping you think like you have a multitude of foods to eat! I also believe everyone should do some sort of a protein/fat abstinence-cleanse at least once-a-year.

I know Frederic Patenaude has led some (raw only - not fasts) food cleanses, where he initially likes those participating to have a one-day fast.

How long, is up to you. But I much prefer raw-juice fasts for about 1 - 2 weeks. You have to go a minimum of 1 week I believe to obtain the autolysis --house cleaning portion of it, because your body doesn't even go into autolysis for 4 - 5 days.

Water fasting calls for you to lie still and do nothing. How long could you do that? I'm a busy mother with too many responsibilities, so this is just not in the cards for me right now.

Don't know if I've shed any new light for you, but just wanted to jump in and say "Welcome" as well.

Mary Kay

[Draginvry]

Water fasting calls for you to lie still and do nothing.

My 21-day long water fast in college (which was undertaken while working a very physically demanding job, every single day) disagrees with your assessment. Lying still is for people who are really sick. The OP has implied a fair amount of health already.

Of course, an eighteen hour fast is all that is necessary, if the succeeding diet is clean. There's no real reason to fast for longer than a day when one is already healthy.

[Aleesha Sattva]

i agree... i've water fasted and not stopped living my life.

as for the OP question... water fasting will speed up your detox... if you want to speed it up and get it over with, it'll help but if you have lots of detoxing to do that'll take time.

even a clean diet can have detoxing to do depending on what your body has stored. (environmental toxins etc)...

if you want a light detox... eat a diet of raw live food with lots of greens. if you want a stronger detox but not too much... eat a diet with more fruit in it (greens are healing, fruits are cleansing)... if you want more of a detox... green smoothie fast. a bit more? then juice fast. if you want the most bang for your buck... water fast!

[Diana I.]

Thanks to everyone for advice! Very helpful information. I guess I'll just go for 24-hour-long water fasting day before the transition day, hope that'll help a little.



if you want a light detox... eat a diet of raw live food with lots of greens. if you want a stronger detox but not too much... eat a diet with more fruit in it (greens are healing, fruits are cleansing)... if you want more of a detox... green smoothie fast. a bit more? then juice fast. if you want the most bang for your buck... water fast!

Interesting, since I've been eating mostly raw for the last month, I noticed that on the contrary I don't really get any detox symptoms eating fruits (no matter how much) but I get bloating and other detox symptoms from eating too many greens. During the last month I was forcing myself to eat more of those, and my body finally got used to eating leaves in fairly big amounts (though, anything more than 1kg makes me still very sick). So I was actually going to ask that too - is it really THAT necessary as it's claimed by every raw foodist I encounter to eat so many leaves (I mean, including green smoothies) or is it just fine to have, say, one big salad a day and the rest of the day eat mostly fruits?

[Aleesha Sattva]

You can do whatever you wish... there's no raw food police!

As for bloating... that isn't a detox symptom. ;)

[Mary Kay]

I had the opposite happen. I water fasted and "led my life" and got very ill. I think it would have been more ideal, had I also rested.

I began water fasting for one day-a-week back in 1978 (LOL, were some of you born? ) and carried on my life as usual. I did this on-and-off for a year or two, but did not really feel it was beneficial while carrying on my stressful, active life. LOL, I was not even high raw though, and your case is totally different.

I do agree that a water fast for you for one day would probably be an ideal way for you to get going. I'll bet you won't notice a thing at all, cuz you sound so clean already. Heck, it sounds like you've already gone through a "transition phase" anyway.

Hope you'll let us know how it goes.

Mary Kay