Odochi Ibe, iEG social media coordinator
The detox is done and I’m feeling good – I finished my detox last Thursday and I can honestly say it was the easiest one I’ve ever done. I’m not sure if I was more committed because I wanted to feel better or I just have gained more willpower, but I rarely, if ever, felt deprived for the three weeks that I spent eating raw and gluten-free.
One of my favorite things about going raw is the versatility of the diet. It may seem more expensive and time consuming, but you’ll probably be saving money since you’re not buying many pre-made or processed foods.
Kitchen Sink Salad from Champs in Brooklyn, NY
I think everyone should do a raw detox – it can be beneficial and work if you know what you’re getting yourself into. Here are pros and cons of my detox:
Pro:
I was not hungry and it is much cheaper to make a quick and easy salad than ordering out, but you can find raw or raw friendly restaurants in New York.
Pro:
I lost 10 pounds and felt much more energized during my detox even with a little bit of sleep.
Pro:
I feel like my stomach shrunk, since I went back to eating “regular” food, I have been eating about half of what I usually would.
Con:
Once you get off your detox you will generally feel tired eating certain cooked foods and carbs even when they are whole grains.
Con:
If you are in a social environment or out late having fun, you can crave those savory foods, so bring a snack to munch on when you are hungry.
Tips on easing back into cooked food:
- Continue drinking a lot of water.
- Don’t eat anything fried.
- Keep to grains like quinoa- even brown rice will make you sluggish.
- Continue to have fresh fruits and veggies with your meals, try and do at least one raw meal a day!
Overall, I would definitely do this raw detox again – I’m not sure I could do fully raw, but eating mostly raw during the week is a good way to combat the not so healthy, but oh-so-delicious foods that are around my city.
Odochi Ibe, or TheBabyVegan, is the social media coordinator for iEatGrass and recently, her work has appeared on Quartz. She made the switch to a plant-based life after graduating from Howard University and moving back to New York in 2012. Find her on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or Tumblr and say, “what’s up?”