digesting soon after 8 p.m.
One of the first things people notice when eating a diet of nutrient-dense foods is that they don’t have to eat as much to feel satisfied, and the cravings often go away. The cleaner your body, the more efficiently it will be able to function and thrive on less food, provided that it is high quality, nutrient-dense food.
Eating when stressed
Eating while stressed or rushed is one of the worst things we can do, as our digestion becomes compromised. Anything eaten during an aggravated state will either just sit in your stomach undigested or pass through the digestive tract undigested, causing diarrhea. Additionally, eating while stressed can trigger emotional eating, as we are not truly conscious of what we are doing during stressful times. This, too, can lead to further overeating.
Before and during eating, make sure you’re relaxed. Avoid confrontations, serious discussions, or worries during meal times. Also avoid eating while driving, working, or watching television—especially the news. If you’re stressed around meal times, allow yourself to slow down and relax before eating. Give yourself at least five minutes to unwind and take your mind off your worries. A few deep breaths in silence can greatly help reduce anxiety and tension. Light a candle, relax, and enjoy the act of eating away from the pressures of the world.
Mindful eating
Always eat with awareness. Ask yourself how hungry you are before, during, and after each meal. Sit at the table, take the time to look at your food, give thanks, and chew each mouthful thoroughly. Being mindful and listening to your body leads to a healthy relationship with food. It takes approximately twenty minutes for your brain to receive the signal of satiation during a meal, so eat slowly, and recognize the nourishment you’re giving your body with every bite. If you eat just enough to satisfy your hunger, you’ll remain alert, relaxed, and feel your best.
The importance of chewing
Digestion is the foundation of our health. The process of breaking down food into nutrients and absorbing these nutrients into the cells is critical to our health. If our food isn’t completely digested, everything we do to try to attain optimal health will be less effective. Poor digestion is often at the root of health problems such as flatulence (intestinal gas), heartburn, burping, abdominal bloating, diarrhea, constipation, and nutritional deficiencies.
Digestion begins with chewing and mixing food with saliva in the mouth. We need to chew our food thoroughly, breaking it down into smaller particles and mixing it with our saliva. Human saliva contains enzymes. These enzymes (amylase) are produced by the salivary glands and break down starches into smaller molecules. The smaller the particles of food swallowed, the better broken down they will be in the stomach and the better nutrient absorption will be in the small intestine.
To get the most out of your food, you must be able to break down and effectively absorb the nutrients from the food. This means chewing food until it is completely liquefied. Why invest extra time and more money into preparing high-quality organic foods if you eat them hastily and forget to chew?
Maintaining a healthy weight
Often, people following a raw lifestyle do not lose weight, and some even gain pounds. This is usually due to overeating the wrong type of raw foods, such as nuts, seeds, and dehydrated foods, which are dense in calories and lacking in water. A nut-and-seed-based diet is between 70 to 90 percent fat. All fat is difficult to digest—more so than protein and carbohydrates. Cooked fats are even more difficult. Additionally, when excess calories are consumed beyond the body’s needs, the body has to work harder. This contributes to excess free radicals (cellular damage) and aging.
Soaking nuts and seeds releases the enzyme inhibitors, and they become easier to digest, and less calorie-dense.
If you want to lose weight and be healthier in general, focus on high-water-content, quick-transit foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables with a moderate amount of fat. These foods provide the body with maximum nutrition and healing while demanding the least amount of time for digestion.
It is healthier to eat lightly steamed vegetables than to overeat nuts.
Weight-loss inhibitors:
• excess food intake
• excess fat intake
• lack of enzymes
• lack of high-water-content foods
• excess dehydrated foods
• lack of exercise
• late-night eating
• poor digestive, adrenal, or metabolic functions
• thyroid problems
• water retention
• sluggish liver
• mineral and vitamin deficiencies
• clogged colon, bowel difficulties
• yeast overgrowth
• food allergies
• parasites causing excessive appetite
• insulin imbalances
CHAPTER TWO Getting Ready to Detox
“The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his [or her] patients in the care of the human frame, in his [or her] diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease.”
—Thomas Edison
The SimplyRaw Living Foods Detox Program provides you with a week-by-week program outline, food lists, recipes, and recommendations for other complementary ways to enhance your detoxification process. A gradual approach is used in order to help you ease into the program. The essence of this program is to consume raw and living foods; however, a gentler option of eating lightly steamed vegetables at dinner is offered throughout the course. Although you will achieve best results by following the program 100 percent, you may customize it to fit your own lifestyle and schedule, and progress at your own pace.
The Progress Chart should be filled out regularly to monitor detox symptoms, challenges, and positive changes. A food log or journal is also recommended to take inventory of your thoughts and feelings throughout your journey.
This four-week program is a basic outline and can be personalized to meet your specific needs. Each week a new set of goals will challenge you to bring your detox to a deeper level. If you can’t go all the way, just do the best you can. Proceed at your own pace, although you will achieve more from the program by following the guidelines in the manual.
This program can help you improve your health regardless of how poor your diet has become. Whether you’re eating an unhealthy diet, overcoming a health challenge, trying to lose weight, or just interested in feeling more energetic and youthful, the SimplyRaw Living Foods Detox Program is a sure way to help bring your health to the next level. Animal products, refined sugar, and processed starches are completely omitted, and because of this, health improves considerably. The program helps clean the palate and makes the transition to a healthier body and lifestyle easier. It is also a great way to prepare your body for a fast.
If this is your first detox, make sure to ease into the program slowly. If you jump into it too quickly, you will be more susceptible to stronger cravings and detoxification symptoms. If you are consuming alcohol, cigarettes, coffee, sugar, wheat, or any other harmful substances, start eliminating them at least a week before the program to reduce harsh detox symptoms. During the program, you must eliminate all of these substances or they will defeat the purpose of the detox, and you won’t reap the health benefits. If you cannot meet this requirement, begin the program at a later time, when you can.
The program begins with one week of mostly raw foods to begin eliminating some of