| Detoxify Naturally with a Raw Foods Diet | | | | the body to cleanse itself and heal. Once your |
| Detoxification need not be an extreme and radical | | | | symptoms are gone, you can start reintroducing |
| process involving fasting or harsh colon cleansing | | | | these foods one at a time, waiting 3-5 days after |
| remedies. A simple detoxification diet using a raw | | | | each introduction to gauge your body's reaction to |
| foods diet allows you to rid the body of toxins while | | | | each one. Foods which cause a reaction can be |
| supplying a complete, clean source of nutrition. | | | | eliminated permanently. |
| Detoxifying the body using a raw food diet works in | | | | Phytonutrients and Antioxidants "Phyto" is Latin for |
| two ways; by reducing incoming toxins and increasing | | | | plants, so phytonutrients are simply the nutrients that |
| incoming nutrients. Let's review both detoxification | | | | come from plants. Examples include carotenoids such |
| pathways. | | | | as beta-carotene and lycopen, or flavonoids. |
| Reducing Incoming Toxins By definition a raw foods | | | | Antioxidants reduce damaging free radicals in the |
| diet will eliminate ALL cooked food toxins. The 5 | | | | body. Both are beneficial in prevention of disease and |
| major cooked food toxins are: | | | | maintenance of overall health. In general, both are |
| - Acrylamide - formed mainly by carbs (especially | | | | sensitive to heat and can be destroyed or inactivated |
| potatoes) at high heat | | | | by cooking. |
| - AGEs (Advanced Glycation End Products) - cooking | | | | While some studies show increased concentration of |
| fats and animal proteins | | | | phytonutrients in cooked versus raw foods, this can |
| - Heterocyclic Amines - from cooking muscle meats | | | | be clearly attributed to water loss. For example it has |
| - Nitrosamines - caused by heating the preservatives? | | | | long been claimed that cooked tomatoes have more |
| nitrites and nitrates | | | | lycopene than raw tomatoes. When the fluid is |
| - Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) - caused | | | | reduced out of the tomatoes by boiling them down, |
| by incomplete combustion of carbon containing fuels | | | | they will clearly be a more concentrated source. An |
| like gas, wood, oil and coal. | | | | even higher concentration could be achieved by |
| The important thing to note in terms of | | | | dehydration, which if done at low temperatures, |
| detoxification is that by sticking to a cleanse or diet | | | | would also keep the enzymes intact (see below for a |
| in which your foods are not cooked, you have zero | | | | description of why this may have beneficial |
| exposure to cooked food toxins with the minor | | | | implications). A wise raw foodist would opt for sun |
| exception of internally formed AGEs that can form | | | | dried tomatoes in olive oil rather than water because |
| when there is excess glucose in the bloodstream.The | | | | fats increase the bioavailability of lycopene. |
| raw food diet also eliminates all of the following | | | | Enzymes Enzymes are catalysts, the movers and |
| reactive foods which tend to cause sensitivities, | | | | shakers that make bio-chemical reactions possible. If |
| acidity, allergic reactions, and/or inflammatory | | | | enzymes are heated above 118? they break down |
| reactions in the body. | | | | and no longer function. The idea promoted by the |
| - Processed Sugars: all processed sugars and | | | | raw food community is that food entering the body |
| sweeteners including high fructose corn syrup, refined | | | | with enzymes intact, comes equipped with the |
| sugars | | | | required catalysts to break down the food, making |
| - Refined Flours: all processed refined flours including | | | | less work for our bodies during digestion. Some |
| white and wheat flour | | | | propose that the less enzymes the body has to |
| - Hydrogenated Oils: including partially hydrogenated | | | | re-route for the purpose of digestion, the more |
| oils and trans fats | | | | enzymes it has to keep the body in proper working |
| - Dyes: chemical colorings of any kind | | | | order. Raw food diets only include foods that are not |
| - Meat: even lean meats | | | | heated above that 118? threshold, thereby keeping |
| - Dairy: milk and milk products from cows, sheep, | | | | the maximum enzymes intact and ready for use in |
| goats are all excluded | | | | digestion. |
| - Eggs: no eggs or products made with eggs are | | | | In Summary... By decreasing or eliminating your |
| included | | | | exposure to the five major cooked food toxins your |
| - Coffee: highly acidic, and pesticide-rich | | | | body gets a major vacation from cleaning these |
| When you eat these foods, and the cooked food | | | | hazardous formations. This reprieve from exposure |
| toxins above, the body goes into "defensive mode." | | | | to dangerous elements means more time to remove |
| While in defense mode it will employ coping methods | | | | stored toxins from the body. By increasing your |
| that have their own ugly side effects such as, holding | | | | intake of beneficial nutrients you supply the body |
| onto fats (especially around the stomach, thighs and | | | | with a clean source of fuel and healthy building blocks |
| bottom), increasing cholesterol, excreting through the | | | | for the building new and repair of existing tissue. It is |
| skin (rash, acne, eczema, etc.) or mucous membranes | | | | important to keep in mind that when the body has |
| (phlegm, allergies, asthma, etc.), mood and energy | | | | the chance to "clean house" by removing stored |
| disturbances. Without daily exposure to these | | | | acids, toxins, and chemicals, you may experience side |
| high-sensitivity foods you eliminate the body's need | | | | effects. |
| to react and neutralize these foods, thereby allowing | | | | |