how long should a raw food detox be done for?!

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You can maintain a detox diet for as long as your body needs it! First, look at what you're eating and drinking on this detox. Is it real food, or is this a powder supplement system you bought? I recommend eating whole, raw, natural fruits and vegetables as a way of life - through your detox process and in your normal day to day routine. Powders can't sustain you for long. Are you drinking enough water? Staying hydrated is important, as is having enough fluid to wash away the waste from your body. But don't be tempted to drink gallons of water in addition to the water-rich foods you'll be eating. Too much water can actually wash away your healthy electrolytes, leaving you depleted! Drink water sensibly.

Just eat really cleansing (colorful, mostly green, low fat, high mineral content) foods for a day or two, and see how you feel. If it helps, keep at it. If it doesn't help, don't force it. Add more rebuilding foods as you need them. Usually people will maintain a cleansing regime for at least a week, but if you only make it one day, that's one day of kindness you have given your body. And your body will thank you!

I start nearly every day with a green smoothie. I start with a banana, and about four cups of dark green veggies (usually kale, sometimes parsley, chard, romaine, or spinach.) I add something with a lot of vitamin C and antioxidants: lemon or orange or pineapple or berries. Usually I'll add some kind of seeds for protein and good fats to keep me full: hemp seeds, chia seeds, or occasionally soaked cashews. If you use cashews or hemp seeds, add them to the blender with a little water before you add anything else, then blend them to make "milk" before blending in the rest of the ingredients. If you use chia, mix it with filtered water in a glass on the side, and let it absorb the water for 10 minutes to make a gel. Most days I add a teaspoon of spirulina too, for extra protein, iron, and vitamins.

Today, my smoothie contained a banana, a peeled lemon, chard, cashews, and chia seeds. If I was thinking more about cleansing, I would not have included the fatty cashews, but would have added more chia and spirulina.

Meals for later in the day will include a lot of salads. While cleansing, avoid using too much oil and oily ingredients like coconuts, avocados, and lots of nuts. Feel free to have lots of fresh pineapples, berries, and other light fruits, veggies, and sprouts! When rebuilding (and on a day to day basis) on a high raw diet, use more seeds, nuts, avos, and coconuts, as well as pates made from nuts, fruits, and veggies!

Try making raw veggie wraps - julienne some veggies, like asparagus, carrots, celery, spinach. Take a collard leaf. If it's big, cut it in half, removing the center rib. Dress your julienned veggies in a light dressing (apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, and a little olive oil. Fresh herbs are great too!) Roll the veggies up in the collard leaves, burrito style. For a heavier, rebuilding-style burrito, add some sprout hummus and/or avocado, or a raw vegan taco-meat-style pate made from walnuts and Latin herbs and spices. One collard wrap is obviously not going to fill you up - make a whole bunch!

This is my favorite hummus. I make it with sprouted sunflower seeds, though the recipe was written using garbanzo sprouts:

http://www.sproutpeople.com/cookery/humm…

After you're done cleaning out your system with all or nearly all raw foods, reintroduce clean, nourishing cooked foods like brown rice, amaranth, millet, cooked pumpkin or squash, and roasted sweet potato. Personally, I love oatmeal, and all the orange veggies. Usually I try to keep almost totally raw in the first half of the day, and save warm cooked foods for later in the day. Different combos work for different bodies. See what works for you!

Your headache could have a variety of causes, but on the first half day I don't think it's detox. Do you normally drink coffee/tea/soda/packaged energy drinks/chocolate in the morning? Maybe your headache is caused by caffeine withdrawal. If so, you might consider cutting caffeinated items out of your diet for a month, then try a raw detox regime again. In the meantime, drink enough water and try starting your day with a green smoothie instead of a latte.

The headache also might just be dehydration, or stress.

Most important: Keep moving! Exercise helps your circulation, which helps your body wash waste away.

Your body does a remarkably good job of detox on its own. A detox diet should really just be a healthy diet that supports your body in its natural cleansing efforts! Special weird supplements and powders shouldn't be necessary if you are avoiding excess chemicals, eating a lot of natural fiber, drinking enough water, and exercising regularly!

Good luck, and I hope you give raw, cleansing foods another try!

Hello

Some people stay on it for weeks, months or even years as a way of life. I know its normal for you to have some detox symptoms as your body is clearing out all the junk etc. Have a look at the link below ok:-

http://www.youtube.com/user/liferegenera…
(has 539 free youtube videos all about raw foods, click all videos and date added and watch them from the beginning)

Lots of Love
Misscpb xxx