A couple of readers have asked me how to get started on a raw cleanse with the intention of weight loss, so I will walk you through my initial detox week with emphasis on weight loss benefits.
If you thought that going raw simply means putting the frying pan away for a couple of days and munching on cold foods, boy, have you got a think coming. Aside from fresh produce, most things that you can buy at a store are NOT raw. By definition, raw food has not been heated above approximately 114 degrees F (this cutoff varies) to keep the enzymes in food from denaturing.
Some foods you may think/hope are raw, but aren't:
Peanut butter made from "Roasted Peanuts" is NOT RAW because the peanuts have been roasted. Nuts are only considered raw if it is specified on the package. You can get them at natural food stores. I have been staying away from raw peanuts because of aflatoxin, but this has to be verified. Raw almond butter is pretty easy to find. You can even get raw walnuts at Safeway.
Dairy is NOT RAW unless it is unpasteurized and specifies "raw" on the label. Be careful with this!
Sugar, honey, spices, vinegar, olive oil is not raw. Olives have been cured and are not raw.
Coffee and tea are HOT and are not raw. I believe that the process of making these out of the plant involves heating them above 118 F, so don't think you can cheat by munching on the espresso beans or making ice tea with teabags.
Dehydrated legumes in bulk food bins: I am not sure if chickpeas and other bulk beans that you can buy at a Whole Foods or natural foods market are raw. I soaked my chickpeas from Whole Foods for 4 days, waiting for long tails to pop up, but apparently the sprouts are very small (see image here.) I will update you when I soak my second batch.
Weight Loss:
If you are going for 5 days tops, you can probably make it eating almost exclusively produce, with some nuts thrown in to get your fats. Produce actually has a lot of protein if you are eating enough of it, so you don't need to worry about eating a ton of nuts to get your protein.
Some key players:
-Spinach, kale, other greens: iron and PROTEIN :) Note that greens have ridiculously few calories, so eating any amount of them to make it count will make you feel super full. Pace yourself.
-Bananas and mangos: fairly calorie dense fruits. Apparently a lot of raw foodists eat bananas like there's no tomorrow. I can't really eat a lot of fruit or I start feeling sick from all the sugar. Maybe you can adjust to this if you push through, but I am still living my life, and I don't intend to spend a week of it nauseous.
-Avocados: if you can get your hands on these, you are set. I have been eating an avocado approximately every day on this diet.
-Coconut oil: since it is apparently AWESOME and helps you lose weight. It is also clearly more calorie dense than lettuce, so it will help you fill up without feeling bloated. Pop a half a tablespoon into your blended creations.
-Whatever else is ORGANIC and on SALE :)
Sample "recipes":
If you think that not heating your food means saving time, you have a second big think coming. You can ingest calories much more effectively if you make smoothies or juices, rather than chewing everything, because you will be so hungry that you will swallow food before the 20 recommended chews per bite, leading to an unhappy tummy. If you want to get really fancy, you can soak, sprout, dehydrate, the options are many!
-Spinach Banana Smoothie: This is one of my favorites. Blend a banana, a bunch of spinach, some cilantro or parsley, lemon juice and/or rind, cayenne (my cheat). Put blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries into it to make a "soup" and eat with 3-4 celery sticks instead of spoons, biting off the celery each time you scoop with it.
-Guacamole with orange pepper chips: Combine a lot of avocado with much less chopped garlic, cilantro, and lemon juice. Scoop with orange bell pepper (or any other color, orange peppers are just the cheapest) instead of chips!
-My cashew milk recipe: After doing some research, I came up with this recipe:
1/2 cup cashews
2 cups water
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
some coconut oil
some RAW honey (or agave if you are vegan)
Soak cashews for at least an hour and rinse. Combine all ingredients in blender. This will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days. You can dilute the cashews farther if you want this to be more calorie dense.
Serving suggestion: stir the milk before pouring because cashews tend to separate slightly from the water. Fill up a bowl with some raw granola (I like Living Intentions Chia Ginger Superfood Cereal) and add fresh berries if you like!
COMING UP SOON: Some logistics and things to consider, as in, advice for YOU!
If you thought that going raw simply means putting the frying pan away for a couple of days and munching on cold foods, boy, have you got a think coming. Aside from fresh produce, most things that you can buy at a store are NOT raw. By definition, raw food has not been heated above approximately 114 degrees F (this cutoff varies) to keep the enzymes in food from denaturing.
Some foods you may think/hope are raw, but aren't:
Peanut butter made from "Roasted Peanuts" is NOT RAW because the peanuts have been roasted. Nuts are only considered raw if it is specified on the package. You can get them at natural food stores. I have been staying away from raw peanuts because of aflatoxin, but this has to be verified. Raw almond butter is pretty easy to find. You can even get raw walnuts at Safeway.
Dairy is NOT RAW unless it is unpasteurized and specifies "raw" on the label. Be careful with this!
Sugar, honey, spices, vinegar, olive oil is not raw. Olives have been cured and are not raw.
Coffee and tea are HOT and are not raw. I believe that the process of making these out of the plant involves heating them above 118 F, so don't think you can cheat by munching on the espresso beans or making ice tea with teabags.
Dehydrated legumes in bulk food bins: I am not sure if chickpeas and other bulk beans that you can buy at a Whole Foods or natural foods market are raw. I soaked my chickpeas from Whole Foods for 4 days, waiting for long tails to pop up, but apparently the sprouts are very small (see image here.) I will update you when I soak my second batch.
Weight Loss:
If you are going for 5 days tops, you can probably make it eating almost exclusively produce, with some nuts thrown in to get your fats. Produce actually has a lot of protein if you are eating enough of it, so you don't need to worry about eating a ton of nuts to get your protein.
Some key players:
-Spinach, kale, other greens: iron and PROTEIN :) Note that greens have ridiculously few calories, so eating any amount of them to make it count will make you feel super full. Pace yourself.
-Bananas and mangos: fairly calorie dense fruits. Apparently a lot of raw foodists eat bananas like there's no tomorrow. I can't really eat a lot of fruit or I start feeling sick from all the sugar. Maybe you can adjust to this if you push through, but I am still living my life, and I don't intend to spend a week of it nauseous.
-Avocados: if you can get your hands on these, you are set. I have been eating an avocado approximately every day on this diet.
-Coconut oil: since it is apparently AWESOME and helps you lose weight. It is also clearly more calorie dense than lettuce, so it will help you fill up without feeling bloated. Pop a half a tablespoon into your blended creations.
-Whatever else is ORGANIC and on SALE :)
Sample "recipes":
If you think that not heating your food means saving time, you have a second big think coming. You can ingest calories much more effectively if you make smoothies or juices, rather than chewing everything, because you will be so hungry that you will swallow food before the 20 recommended chews per bite, leading to an unhappy tummy. If you want to get really fancy, you can soak, sprout, dehydrate, the options are many!
-Spinach Banana Smoothie: This is one of my favorites. Blend a banana, a bunch of spinach, some cilantro or parsley, lemon juice and/or rind, cayenne (my cheat). Put blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries into it to make a "soup" and eat with 3-4 celery sticks instead of spoons, biting off the celery each time you scoop with it.
-Guacamole with orange pepper chips: Combine a lot of avocado with much less chopped garlic, cilantro, and lemon juice. Scoop with orange bell pepper (or any other color, orange peppers are just the cheapest) instead of chips!
-My cashew milk recipe: After doing some research, I came up with this recipe:
1/2 cup cashews
2 cups water
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
some coconut oil
some RAW honey (or agave if you are vegan)
Soak cashews for at least an hour and rinse. Combine all ingredients in blender. This will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days. You can dilute the cashews farther if you want this to be more calorie dense.
Serving suggestion: stir the milk before pouring because cashews tend to separate slightly from the water. Fill up a bowl with some raw granola (I like Living Intentions Chia Ginger Superfood Cereal) and add fresh berries if you like!
COMING UP SOON: Some logistics and things to consider, as in, advice for YOU!
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