7 Day Cleansing Diet - Key Principles

A 7 day cleansing diet can really give the body an opportunity to rejuvenate.

This week-long cleansing ritual can be used to transition into a new season (like a form of spring cleaning), to help the body rebalance after overindulgence during the holidays, or simply to refocus after a period of stress and strain when life gets in the way of higher priorities like good health and happiness.

Many options for such a detoxification program exist, a couple of which have been outlined and discussed below.

Raw 7 Day Cleansing Diet

A completely raw 7 day cleansing diet may seem difficult to achieve, yet trying a vegan raw diet can actually be liberating. Much of the food can be surprisingly flavorful, as well as nourishing and nutritious.

Raw vegan foods have virtually no saturated fat and have bountiful quantities of essential nutrients, including minerals, vitamin and antioxidants. In addition, they have a good deal of water and fiber, both of which help cleanse the body by flushing out waste and toxins.

Cooking foods can reduce up to half of the natural vitamins and may destroy the enzymes within the foods that would otherwise help the body fuel vital processes at the cellular level. Two staple in the raw food diet include sprouted grains and nuts, in addition to fermented foods, which aid in digestion.

A raw food diet takes advantage of several unconventional food preparation techniques that allow the week's menu to have variety and interest, including soaking nuts or dried fruits; fermenting vegetables, nuts, grains and seeds; sprouting legumes, seeds and grains; juicing fruits and vegetables; and blending various sauces, cold soups and beverages.

This 7 day cleansing diet can be performed especially with the onset of spring and summer, as many people find warmed or cooked foods comforting in the colder winter months. Recipes to try during this cleanse include a variety of healthful smoothies, salads, cold soups, and juices. Be sure to keep the ingredients as natural as possible - organic, and preferably locally grown if you can obtain it.

Ayurvedic 7 Day Cleansing Diet

In Ayurveda, the science of ancient India which serves as the foundation of much of Eastern medicine, fasting and cleansing procedures have volumes of literature devoted to them. However, all can be boiled down to one main philosophy, that is, a sattvic lifestyle.

A sattvic lifestyle embraces the principle of balance, awareness and simplicity. During the cleanse, the wellness program should be tailored to fit one's specific mind-body constitution, and individual nutrition, lifestyle and environmental influences all play a part. One cornerstone of the Ayurvedic tradition lies in the emphasis on proper digestion, which can be influenced by consuming what works best for your mind-body type, or dosha.

Once you identify your specific or dominant type, you can have a deeper insight into the lifestyle and dietary choices that will help keep your body in balance. A more thorough analysis of your mind-body type can be obtained from a licensed Ayurvedic practitioner; however, for the purposes of the fast, you can identify your type through a simple online "dosha quiz" or through a reference book on Ayurveda.

All doshic types, however, can follow some of the following basic Ayurvedic recommendations during the 7 day cleansing diet.

Eat at a routine, predetermined time each day. Consuming food at a fast pace or on the run can lead to digestive troubles (in addition to amplifying feelings of stress). The Ayurvedic clock follows the body's natural circadian rhythms, so breakfast should be consumed early in the morning, lunch when the sun has reached its highest point in the sky (between noon and 2p.m.) and dinner before it gets too dark (between 5 and 6p.m).

Interestingly, in Ayurvedic practice, the largest meal of the day should be consumed at lunch, so that the body has ample time to process it. Always dine in a relaxed state, and make a habit of practicing mindful meditation as you eat, savoring each bite.

Eat modestly, rather than voraciously, so that you leave the table satisfied but not engorged. Individuals embarking on the 7 day cleansing diet should drink triphala tea, which helps balance the body and improves digestion.

Many people trying the Ayurvedic 7 day cleansing diet report an improved union between body, mind and spirit, as well as a deeper connection to the body's natural rhythms. In essence, one works to reconnect with the natural cycles present in the world and manifested in the human body.

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Wish to learn more about cleansing and detoxification after reading about 7 day cleansing diets?

Have you heard of the 10-day Master Cleanse, the 12 steps to a complete body detox, or the definitive detox diet? Do you know how to detox to lose weight, or to detox your body at all levels in 5 minutes without ingesting anything? You could also discover the supposed body detox secret, or learn about colon cleansing as undertaken by a former toxic colon victim.

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