It seems there is always something fascinating waiting just around every corner of the raw food path. Life is certainly never dull, and as you watch your body change and your health increase, one can't help but marvel at the power of our everyday choices when it comes to diet and lifestyle. Recently, I completed my first successful 'cleanse', much to my dismay and satisfaction at the same time.
Colon cleansing kits are becoming more and more in demand as people are becoming more and more educated about the importance of intestinal health. When we cleanse our colons, and more specifically our intestines, we not only rid our bodies of accumulated waste that can be reabsorbed into the body and cause disease, but we also clear the way for our bodies to now digest, absorb and assimilate our food much easier. This is a huge bonus when you are eating a raw food diet, since health is the primary goal of eating this way in the first place.
There are many, many cleansing kits available today, and the internet market is flourishing. Most 'colon cleanses' on the market combine psyllium husk with various herbs and supplements that work to loosen and flush out waste from the intestines and the colon. Most people have decades of this waste caked onto their insides due to improper diet and lack of sufficient elimination. This hard, rubbery tar-like substance is usually referred to as mucoid plaque.
There are quick one week and ten day cleanses on the market, which don't do much as far as long-term effects, but they can be a great kickstart when you are in need of something that won't interfere with your lifestyle too much. Longer and more intense cleanses, of course, accomplish much more, especially if you use enemas or colonics as well.
Colonics, or colonic irrigation is a very thorough enema which is administered by a professional and will cleanse farther up the intestines than an enema. Using colonics alone is more than likely the most effective way to thoroughly cleanse the intestines.
The only drawbacks being these treatments can be expensive in part because when you first start visiting a colon hydrotherapist, you should pay for several sessions in order to cope with the large amount of impacted waste that is clinging to your insides. Also, some people are at first uncomfortable with a stranger inserting a plastic tube in their anus.
Nevertheless, colonics currently appears to be the most effective method of removing the stubborn mucoid plaque, aside of course from leading a healthy lifestyle in the first place.
Some herbal cleanses require fasting during at least some portion of the program, and some do not. My most recent, and most successful, episode in the world of cleanses required fasting on juices during the last phase, which wasn't nearly as difficult as my mind first told me it would be.
When you experience the shock of seeing some of the things that your body releases, which you realize should not have even been there in the first place, you gain a new appreciation for your body and your health. My newfound clarity, energy and lightness are certainly the 'icing on the cake'.
When you change over to a raw food diet and work on intestinal cleansing, through whatever method you choose, you are using a double edged sword: clean foods coming in, and old toxic waste going out. Pretty soon, you will have caught up with yourself and less and less toxicity will be present in your body. Combining the raw food diet with an occasional colon and intestinal cleansing is a recipe for true success.
There are resources on the internet available for learning more about various intestinal cleanses as well as the cleansing benefits of a raw food diet. Three that I found particularly helpful are: http://rawfoodme.wordpress.com,
http://rawfoodists.blogspot.com/ and http://www.kaboodle.com/rawfood.
Author Resource:-
James Beller is a blogger, online publisher and natural and raw food enthusiast. He writes articles for various websites and blogs which promote the raw diet and natural health such as http://www.beautifulonraw.com.