A Really Simple Fast
Broccoli, Carrot, Oranges and soaked peanuts tossed in olive oil and lemon juice
If will power and hunger are problems that prevent you from doing a detox, just start by replacing one meal – your dinner, with raw foods. The body’s capacity to digest drops drastically after sunset, as it needs sunlight to facilitate proper digestion. If you can therefore, eat before or during sunset, that would be great. Even if not, make sure you eat no cooked foods after sunset. If you do this for a week or two, that is great. If you can do it for a lifetime, you will see your health stabilize greatly.
What you can eat:
There is a tendency to think that raw foods are not filling. This is nothing but a mental block. If you feel this very strongly, I would recommend meditating on this thought and allowing yourself to feel the fear that you might be left hungry. Once you feel the fear completely, it will slowly dissipate, letting you enjoy your raw food dinner.
Ideas:
Gourds are tremendously healing for the system and are great eaten raw. Chop up bottle gourd (lauki), ridge gourd (turai), add fenugreek leaves (methi), tomatoes, onions, carrots, radish. Dressing: Lemon juice, salt, pepper
Grated apples, Grated beetroots, Chopped almonds, Raisins. Dressing: Olive oil, Lemon juice, Honey, Salt, Pepper
Sliced apples, Pomegranate, Rocket leaves, Baby spinach, Thinly sliced white and red cabbage, Nuts, Raisins. Dressing: Olive oil, Lemon juice, Honey, Salt, Pepper
Avocado, Tomatoes, Onions, Coriander, Rock salt, Pepper
Pomegranates, Oranges, Nuts, Salad leaves, Tulsi. Dressing: Olive oil or filtered groundnut oil, lemon juice, Salt, Pepper
Cucumber, Tomatoes, Radish, Coriander leaves, Mint leaves. Dressing: Curds in summer, otherwise Lemon juice. Salt, Black salt, Pepper, Cumin Powder
Leaves: Several leaves can be used in salads. The leaves of carrots and radish are especially amazing, so ask your vendor if he can fetch you some. If you have a drumstick tree in your backyard, get some of those leaves and add them to your salad, they are nutritious! Baby spinach is better than the full grown one, if you can find it. Fenugreek and dill are also great in salads if you are ok with the taste. Cabbage is a negative calorie food, which means it takes more calories to digest than it gives your body. You could also chop cabbage up finely, mix with salt and store in a glass jar, allowing it to ferment and produce healthy bacteria. Use after a few days in your salad.
Sprouts: Sprouts can be added to any of the salads above. To make sprouts, just soak the beans overnight, drain and let them rest in a moist, warm environment for a day or two, gently rinsing them with water if they seem to get dry. Black chana sprouts are a great form of protein. Mung sprouts should only be taken if one does not have gas or bloating problems. Alfalfa sprouts and horse gram sprouts are also very good.
Nuts, Dried fruits, Seeds: When soaked overnight, these elements become much more nutritious. Most people forget about peanuts, but these are great in salads as well. In summers, avoid walnuts. You could also soak raisins and dried figs overnight, and eat them along with the water, in the morning. Seeds like sesame are nice in winters, and flax, pumpkin, sunflower seeds are also good.
What to avoid:
Cold water. Drink only warm water if possible for best results.
Beverages. No colas, fizzy drinks, tea, coffee or other stimulants.
Absolutely avoid deep fried items. No papads, bhajjis, fritters, chips.
Avoid refined items like maida (refined wheat flour), refined oil and white sugar. This is a sensitive issue for most Indians, but if you can replace white rice with brown rice, then it is wonderful. If you can substitute wheat with millet flours, and rice with millets, then your body will love you a little bit more.
Avoid packaged and canned foods completely, including juices and cheeses.
Author of ‘Healing Through Reiki’, Ashwita learned Reiki in 1997, and started teaching it in 2006. She now incorporates other forms of energy healing, as well as hypnotherapy and past life therapy in her work. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, crafts, reading and painting.
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