by Saskia Fraser PART 2. Book: ‘Raw Freedom’
EATING CLEAN
Food Over time we accumulate toxins in our bodies from the food and drink that we ingest, and from our environment. An excess of toxins in the body cause many symptoms, from lack of energy to severe illness. Toxins cause the blood to thicken. Through the metabolic process of diffusion, toxins are then moved into the intercellular fluid and then into our actual cells themselves. They cause our cell walls to thicken and become less supple, which in turn effects how efficiently our cells can do their work. Our cells become ‘silted up’. Our internal survival rests on our body’s ability to maintain a narrow homeostasis (balance). A toxic system means it has to work much harder to maintain this balance, directing its precious energy into keeping toxic overload at bay rather than healing and regenerating our cells. When you eat a clean diet you reverse this process. Your blood thins because it contains less toxins, allowing the toxins trapped in your body to move out of the intercellular fluid and cells, back into your blood. Once in the blood, they can be safely processed out of the body by the eliminatory organs, predominantly the liver and kidneys but also the skin, lungs and tongue. Detox symptoms are caused by a backing up of toxins in the blood, i.e. when there are too many toxins in the blood for the eliminatory organs to handle. Detox symptoms can be relieved through re-thickening the blood with cooked foods, such as brown rice, or preferably through helping the body to release the toxins more quickly.
Ways to help the body eliminate toxins more efficiently include:
- Drinking lots of water • Enemas and colonics • Exercising
- Skin brushing • Sleeping
Strong detox symptoms usually pass within a day or two, with lesser detox symptoms continuing for longer. Although detox symptoms can be a bit unsettling, it’s important to remind yourself that they are happening because you are cleaning out your beautiful body. You are on the path to feeling fantastic!
Some common detox symptoms include:
- Cravings • Weight loss • Bad breath • Light headedness • Fevers • Diarrhoea
- Wind • Dry skin • Coughs • Weakness • Cold symptoms • Anxiety • Drowsiness
- Headaches • Irritability • Sadness • Nausea
Where Does My Protein Come from?
This is probably one of the most common questions I get asked. Raw food is in fact packed full of simple proteins (amino acids) and other nutrients, which commonly are thought only to be found in animal products.
There are very few nutrients that can’t be found on a raw vegan diet (namely Vitamins B12, K2 and D). If you are vegan, supplementing these vitamins is an important consideration for your long term health. If you are happy to eat a few eggs a week and a little unpasteurized cheese (or have no intention of giving up animal products) then this needn’t concern you, unless you have a specific health issue that you are trying to heal.
If you ‘go raw’, the protein question is one that often gets asked by people who are skeptical of the health benefits of eating this way. It’s good to be able to give them an answer! Whether you are vegan or not, it is interesting to know which raw foods are high in which nutrients.
Protein: Sprouted pulses, Dark green leafy veg, Bee pollen, Seaweed and algae, Hemp seeds, Maca, Cacao, Goji berries
Carbohydrates: Fruit, Spouted pulses, Sweet potatoes, Squash, Sweetcorn, Raw buckwheat, Sprouted quinoa
Iron: Spirulina, Parsley, Spinach, Red fruit, Dandelion leaves
Omega Oils (EFAS/Essential Fatty Acids):Hemp seeds, Flaz/Linseeds, Pumpkin seeds, Sunflower seeds, Spirulina
Calcium: Spirulina, Green leafy veg, Sesame seeds
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EDITOR’S NOTE: This book is simply excellent with delicious and simple recipes. Saskia recommends that a raw food lifestyle is best combined with healthy cooked foods. These meals will help you to experience vibrant health, energy, calmness and a sense of wellbeing.
SEE 5 YUMMY RECIPES BY SASKIA in “Recipes” Section