7 Surprising Side Effects You May Experience on a Raw Food Cleanse

Raw Food Cleanse Most of us now know that a raw food cleanse can be the ultimate weight loss tool. Raw foods provide our bodies with plant-based nutrition and enzymes that aren’t normally as present in a standard diet. They are so rich in fiber and water that we feel full faster, eat less, reduce our sugar cravings and ultimately tend to shed unwanted weight in the process.

With this in mind, a raw food cleanse can be a powerful tool for much more than weight loss which is really just a side effect of the process itself. I like to explain my reasons for using raw foods as a tool and how they support me in my life when I need a shift, either physical, emotional or spiritual.

Every body is different, so it’s important to always listen to yours as well throughout the process. I have found nothing better than a short raw food cleanse to reset the system and help you get those messages from your body more clearly.

Raw Food Cleanse

Here’s 7 Side Effects You May Experience on a Raw Food Cleanse

1. You feel more calm and relaxed. I find that when I’m on a raw food cleanse or even if I’ve decided to go raw for an extended period of time (say 30 or more days), my nervous system is more relaxed. I use raw food as a tool for lowering stress and anxiety in my body when I feel called to do it. It’s not always the answer, but sometimes it is exactly what I need to get back on track.

2.  Your skin starts to glow. Sometimes when you first begin a cleanse, your skin will breakout a bit. This is usually a normal part of the process, toxins are being released from fat cells, you’re shedding weight, and the body is purging a bit. Though often times, on a raw food cleanse rich in fresh fruits and vegetables and healthy fats, the skin begins to glow and have this really pretty soft feeling.

3. You feel more energetic. I find that if I’ve been using stimulants like coffee or yerba matte for a while, my body starts to depend on them. A raw food cleanse is usually the perfect way to reset and get off stimulants because I have so much natural energy I don’t even need or want them. If you’ve got high cortisol, extra fat around your butt, thighs and belly often caused by stress, anxiety or depression, quitting coffee can be a game changer – but it’s hard! You can slowly wean off of it and by introducing more raw food, juices and smoothies, you may find the process significantly easier or even effortless in some cases.

4. You have less inflammation and puffiness. If you ever wake up in the morning with a puffy face or inflammation in your body, it may be from something you ate the night before. Raw foods are regenerating, and low tax on the body overall. They often reduce inflammation and leave a person feeling light and clean in the morning. You may notice after the first week that your clothes start to fit better as well.

5. You wake up earlier without an alarm. People often report waking up earlier and needing less sleep on a cleanse. Everyone responds differently, though this is a common report. You may find yourself up earlier, in a good mood and ready to take on the day. With less energy being expended on breaking down proteins in the body, your system is freed up to provide you with more energy for other things – like taking on life in a big way.

6. Your clothes fit better. We already addressed that raw food is a great weight loss tool. Many people have successfully dropped pounds and felt better (Check out April’s weight loss story here), however sometimes people don’t see as dramatic of a shift in the scale as they do in how their clothing fits. You can change your bodies shape without losing as much weight. How your clothes fit on your body is more important than the number on the scale. It’s about being comfortable and feeling relaxed, not the number. During the 21 Day Raw Food Reset we suggest not weighing in any more than once per week, only once after the first 2 weeks if possible.

7.  You feel more empowered. If there’s anything I know about weight loss, is that it is all in the mind. It can be torturous when you’ve gained weight and don’t fit into any of your clothes anymore, or maybe you’ve been trying to lose weight for what feels like forever and you simply get caught up in the negative eating cycle and just throw in the towel. This can resort in shame, guilt, anxiety, stress, and panic. I have found that by taking consistent action and doing a cleanse, I wake up feeling empowered and proud of myself for doing something positive for my body. Instead of counting calories, starving myself, over exercising or limiting my intake, I’m doing something that fuels me on a cellular level, makes me feel better and supports a healthy body transformation. 

If you’re stuck craving sugar all the time or if you find yourself constantly hungry and unable to stop eating, you may want to consider something like the 21 Day Raw Food Reset Cleanse for a few reasons:

1. The menus are already mapped out for you and you will not be deprived. There’s a lot of food, yet people still drop weight because raw food processes differently!

2. There’s a support group. You can seek support inside the group, get additional tips for how to address your health goals, post pictures of your food and even cheer someone on (or be cheered on if you need it.)

3. There’s an emotional component. The 21 Day Raw Food Reset Cleanse also includes an Emotional Eating Hypnosis Audio Track that you can download and listen to on your iPod or computer with headphones. The audio track was designed by a world class hypnotist specifically for the cleanse, to support changes in the brain so that you can crave sugar less, only eat when you’re hungry and begin to rewire your relationship with food. If anything, this is the most important aspect of the cleanse and you won’t find that with other cleanses because they just focus on diet and/or exercise.

Click Here to Begin Your 21 Day Raw Food Reset Cleanse Journey

Sheleana Aiyana

Sheleana is passionate about getting back to nature through real food and empowering women to walk the feminine path of self-care and deep self-awareness. She's a birth doula in Vancouver, BC She's an avid reader, intuitive culinary goddess and cat lady in the making.