Many people are advocates for Raw Foods diets and have a wonderful experience of them. Ayurveda does hold a place for the unique constitution that can thrive on a raw foods diet. This would be a person who is a Fire or Pitta body type or some balance of Fire/Earth (Pitta/Kapha). That type of person has naturally strong digestion and more heat. I believe that this person would also need a very strong presence of Fire in their mind as it takes incredible planning and discipline to maintain a raw foods diet and appropriately meet all nutritional needs.
If you are choosing this lifestyle and feel great…awesome!!! If you are suffering from any of the following, ask yourself if you are getting enough energy of the Earth or Kapha in your life to ground the uplifting nature of your diet. Food does affect emotion too.
Lack of vitality
Always cold
Weak digestive digestion
Cravings
Stalled weight loss due to low metabolism
Emaciation
Amenorrhea (menstrual cycles cease), even in young women
Loss of libido
Hair loss and nail problems
Dental erosion
Insomnia and neurological problems
Constipation
Diarrhea
Infertility
If you find that you are suffering from any of these, I recommend the following while maintaining your diet. Additionally, if you are participating in the Elemental Cleanse and do not wish to participate in cooked food, you will need to do the following:
· Daily meditation of no less than 20 minutes. Use mantra with the focus of union of energies in the heart. Do not turn your meditation into an escape to connect to what is perceived as “higher than”. Meditation & Spirituality is to be in your body and embrace the life you are currently living.
· Self-Oil Massage with Sesame Oil (it's heating externally and internally). Do heat your oil prior to your massage
· Vigorous yoga or exercise producing sweat with an extended rest (Shavasana) of no less than 10 minutes to ground your energy afterwards.
· Spice up your food with spicy spices.
· Eat your food at room temperature
· Take a daily dose of triphala (Ayurvedic blend of 3 fruits promoting digestion and elimination)
· Drink hot teas (ginger tea is the best). Add citrus (lemon or lime) to your teas.
· Add fruit juices and vegetable juices to your diet.
· Use a food processor or blender to “pre-digest” the food you consume.
· Take a daily dose of flax-oil. You may consume up 6 - 8 teaspoons of oil each day for healthy digestion.
· Use ginger elixir before each meal to stoke your digestive fire. (grated ginger marinated in sea salt and lemon. Take a pinch before each meal).
· Go for a 10-minute walk after you eat.
· Seek out heat therapy; dress warm covering throat and head, saunas, hot baths, hot tubs, hot yoga (if appropriately acclimated and not more than 2 times a week) and sun.
· Go to bed by 10 pm and arise by 6 am.
The final week of the Elemental Cleanse must be modified to accommodate those on a raw foods diet. Food will be blended and processed and taken without exception at room temperature. Focus will be on vegetables over fruits. The final week may be shortened to just 3 days.
I find that people who take the Cleanse and are raw foodies are not taking the Cleanse to clean out their bodies. Most are interested in what Ayurveda has to offer and are curious about the Spiritual aspects of the Cleanse. Great benefit can be received through the emotional, mental and Spiritual Cleansing process. Shift your focus to journaling, meditation, walking and yoga. Because you already have a healthy diet, the food portion will be easy for you and not a focus.
Most Raw Foodies that I know are very attached to their diet because they have put a lot of effort into this lifestyle and they have seen benefits. That’s perfect! Simply be aware of the imbalance that a raw foods diet can potentially cause if not balanced with the emotional and physical body. Do know that you simply must focus a bit more on “grounding” your energy. Raw food creates high prana. This always sounds good as we perceive prana to be a positive force. Prana, however, is a neutral force. It goes where your mind goes. If you are happy, it increases the happy. If you are sad, destructive, critical, judgmental or angry, it will also increase those. Too much prana, ungrounded, causes imbalance.
If you are currently participating in the Cleanse and not currently a Raw Foodie, please cook all of your food and eat it warm! If you are interested in Raw Foods and are of the appropriate mind/body type as discussed above, explore when the Cleanse is complete.
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